Be With Me
by zerodarksamus2187
Summary: A Fix-it, Reylo-based fic after the events of 'The Rise of Skywalker'. My take on how it should have ended and the story that follows. Rey & Ben both survived the Battle of Exegol. Now, they are faced with new challenges as they work to rebuild the galaxy, solidify their intertwined destinies, and maintain balance in the force - especially within themselves.
1. Chapter 1 - Rey

Rey was in the middle of a storm. Nothing like the brutal sand storms she experienced on Jakku. Those storms she could hide from. She had control during those storms. She had huddled down in her make-shift AT-AT home and waited for it to pass. This storm she was in now was different. She didn't have control. She was caught in the eye of it, no strength left in her near lifeless body, but just enough to look up and see the death and destruction through it's cruel opening. Natural instincts in a situation like this stoke such fear that the only logical solution is to run, hide, get to safety and wait it out like she always had on Jakku. But this storm was different. It was all lightning, smoke, explosions, and she was in its eye. The storm was holding her captive, forcing her to look at the devastation it left in its wake. The storm was mocking her, forcing her to watch her family die, like Snoke had on The Supremacy.

Her new family, as her grandfather had promised, was dying. That much she knew. She didn't have to see it happening to know. Through the force, she could feel each individual death of her family like a knife to the heart. She could feel the light dimming. It was disorienting. Where was the hope in this? How was she, the scavenger girl from Jakku, supposed to weather a storm where she was the prisoner?

She began to wonder why Palpatine didn't drain all of her life force. She figured it was his disgusting way of making her watch the consequences of not joining the Sith, but not having enough strength to stop it.

She knew Ben was still alive, she could feel him through their bond. He was a faint flicker in the force, but she knew he was there. But where was he? She reached out to him to find an answer, but winced away when she felt a terrible pain in her hip that wasn't her own. She had reached out enough to know he was there, somewhere. He had come to help her, to save her, to face Palpatine with her. He had turned, and in that moment of realization that she was not going to face Palpatine alone - that he was no longer Kylo Ren, he was Ben, her Ben - she felt hope, light, and warmth. She felt a glimmer of happiness in knowing that he might have a chance of escaping, alive.

For her, she knew all was lost. She felt that hopelessness down to her core.

She had felt times of hopelessness before, during her training with Leia on Ajan Kloss. For nearly a year after the Battle of Crait the resistance had been stationed there, safely out of reach of the First Order. The war was far from over, though, so Rey began honing her skills, training with her new master.

Leia was kind and wise, but rigorous. She pushed Rey to her physical limits, but also stressed the importance of understanding the Jedi through their history in the ancient texts. Leia was a tough master, but noone was more tough on Rey than herself. There were many times she didn't feel worthy of wielding the legacy saber, once Anakin Skywalkers, then Lukes. A saber with such history should only be wielded by someone worthy. In those moments of hopelessness, Leia had instructed Rey to reach out to the Jedi of the past for guidance. It had been one of the most challenging force practices for Rey, and she had yet to master it.

Until now.


	2. Chapter 2 - Ben

Ben was wondering how he was alive. Palpatine had drained nearly every ounce of life from him. Force, everything hurt. Was all of this pain his own? He knew the crippling pain in his left hip was his - he had heard and felt the sickening crunch when he was flung like a rag doll off the cliff. Surely, that fall alone should have killed him.

But he was not Kylo Ren. He was stronger in the light. He was free. He could help her, save her from her cruel grandfather, save the galaxy. He would not let Palpatine take her from him. The only person he's ever truly cared about, his dyad in the force. Maybe that's why he still clung to life.

Ben was all too familiar with how much the darkside can blind you. Palpatine had proven that much. The Sith lord had been so consumed with his dark plot that he miscalculated Rey when she seamlessly passed the Skywalker saber to it's blood-owner through their force bond.

Ben had grasped his grandfather's saber in his hand, and his father's words rang true through his soul in that moment. He was alive - no longer clouded by the darkside, by Snoke, by Palpatine's influence. He was free, finally able to think clearly, feel, care, act for himself, for what Ben Solo truly wanted. It was intoxicating. The shackles had finally come off, and he was about to atone all the wrong he had done. He was going to avenge himself, his mother, his father, Rey, from all the dark influence he had endured since he was in his mother's womb.

When he had fought the Knights of Ren, it was a reflection of the moment in the blood-red throne room, with Snoke's Praetorian guards. The saber molded perfectly to the contours of his large hand, still warm from the shadow of Rey's grasp. He unleashed everything the shackles were holding back against the Knights. He was all raw power, a vicious animal released from it's cramped cage. His movements against them were fluid and sure, striking each down with raw power. The Knights were no match for their former master and he felt no remorse in killing them. They were just Palpatine's pawns, as he had once been.

Besides, he had to get to Rey and anyone standing in his way would pay for that mistake. He could sense she was in danger of falling into something far worse than death. Something much more sinister.

At last, he had finished with the Knights. Sprinting further down the dark, damp corridor, he was breathless when he finally reached her. There she was. In all her raw, feline-like glory, seamlessly wielding what he realized was his mother's saber against the Royal Guards. Damn, she was smart. How had she gotten that saber? He would have to ask her about that later if they survived. But this was no time to gawk.

The red pawn standing in his way was the final Royal Guard, preparing to strike Rey from behind.

He thrust his hand out, vice-gripping the guard's neck with the force. With a simple squeeze of his hand, he manipulated the force to crush his throat. He nonchalantly threw the guard to the side with a dull thud. Now his path to Rey was clear. Only the sick bastard he was so ready to kill remained.

But now, almost as soon as he had gotten to her side and looked into those innocent hazel eyes, he was at the bottom of a cliff. The fall had been a long, unforgiving one. The jagged edges of the protruding cliff had slowed his fall, but not without punishment. He wondered how many broken bones he must have from the misadventure.

He had landed on his back, flat against the cool stone ground. He groaned in agony, slowly rolling over onto his side, slapping his left hand against the ground.

He huffed as he rested his cheek against the cool surface. Dust and pebbles danced around his face in response to his ragged breath, confirming he was still alive. He wanted to stay there forever, in too much pain to move, and found himself willing a bacta tank to appear.

But Rey was still alive and so was Palpatine. He could feel that much in the force. He had to gather whatever feeble strength still lingered in his broken body to get to her. He would not lose her, not now.

_Focus, Ben, focus,_ he thought.

He took a quick scan of his long body, slowly moving each limb to diagnose his injuries. He winced and gritted his teeth as he got to his left hip, which was clearly the worst of it. It was definitely broken, but he had experienced worse. He was good with pain, the darkside had taught him that much.

He dug his left hand into the ground and slowly forced his body up into a standing position. It took all the strength he had and he fueled himself with the knowledge that Rey was still fighting Palpatine, alone. His pain did not matter, what mattered was that he had to get back to her.

He looked up into the dark void that had just consumed him. At the top was a beautiful display of electricity, dancing with exploding ships on a back-drop of a dark, milky sky. Breathing heavy and gently grasping his left hip, he frantically flitted his eyes downward to scan the edges of the cliff to make out a path to the top. They were cruel and sharp, but accessible. He started forward, limping, and clumsily palmed for any hand-hold he could find against the sharp, stone wall. Every bone and muscle in his body screamed in protest as he began to scale up the wall, but he harnessed that pain as fuel for his grueling journey.

Nothing would stand in his way.


	3. Chapter 3 - Rey

Rey surrendered on her back as she gazed up through the eye of the storm in utter disbelief and exhaustion. She felt her bruised body melt against the cool ground. How long had she been laying there? She could not tell if it was a few minutes or hours. A single tear of unimaginable sadness tickled down her cheek as she watched the chaos breeding from the lightning above her.

Every ship that came into contact with Palpatine's force lightning wilted like a flower. A resistance transport fell through the atmosphere tangled in a web of electricity, and she wondered how many of her friends were onboard. Would Finn be on the next ship that fell? What about Rose? Poe? Jannah?

Ben. Where was he? Was he alive? She had reached out and felt his pain. Pain was good. It meant, whatever Palpatine had done with him, he was still alive.

She hoped Ben would somehow escape this nightmare. After all, why had the force led her to this moment, alone? All these years of waiting and self-discovery had led to now. What if Rey was the key to closing the chapter on the Skywalker story, to defeating her grandfather who had haunted this family for all these years?

Coming to terms with this monster being her blood relative sickened her, especially now. If she did not rise and defeat Palpatine, everything her mentors - Luke, Leia, Han - stood for would be for nothing. And Ben, who she believed had turned for a reason. She would not let that go in vain.

She called on the one glimmer of hope she had left in her. She stared wide eyed at the scene above her, and began to see past it all, blocking it out. Forcing the chaos to fade behind her tired eyes, she cleared her mind and focused on the force, devoid of all her feelings. She reached out with desperation, to the Jedi of the past, as Leia had taught her.

"Be with me." she heard herself say.

She pursed her lips and repeated. "Be with me."

Her eyes were open, but it was as if she was blind to the destruction above her. She no longer saw what was in front of her, and only saw the pure, peaceful blackness of space, dotted with light from the stars in the galaxy. Through her blindness, she had never seen more clearly in her entire life.

"Be with me."

As clearly as if they were there in front of her, she began to hear them speak, fading in and out of her thoughts like an echo. She was surprised at first that her efforts had worked, then amazed. Some voices were familiar to her and some unknown.

"These are your final steps, Rey. Rise and take them."

"Rey."

"Bring back the balance, Rey, as I did." She blinked, slightly dumbfounded. She felt more tears wet her cheeks.

"Be the light. Find the light, Rey."

"You are not alone, Rey." Her breath began to steady and her jaw set with intention as the voices continued.

"Alone, never have you been."

"Every Jedi who ever lived, lives in you."

"The Force surrounds you, Rey"

"Let it guide you."

"As it guided us."

"Feel the Force flowing through you, Rey." She slowly rolled over onto her side, as if someone was physically pushing her over.

"Let it lift you." She felt her arms bend beneath her as her hands pressed against the ground, her skin digging into the pebbles and debris. Was she doing this? The movements felt almost involuntary, but strangely were her own.

"Rise, Rey."

"We stand behind you, Rey."

"Rise in the Force."

"In the heart of a Jedi lies her strength." She kicked a leg up underneath her to steady her stance. She pushed with all her might against the ground, as if she was pushing against the combined gravity from all the worlds in the galaxy.

"Rise."

"Rey, the Force will be with you. Always."

At last, she was standing. She felt as though there were hundreds of souls behind her, touching her shoulders, supporting her slight frame. She stared down the monster in front of her, whose hands were still exploding bolts of violent electricity towards the sky, stoking the storm. Her fear had dissolved and she felt reborn.

Palpatine flicked his glowing orange eyes to her, away from the destruction he was conjuring above. It disgusted her to know that his new-found strength was a product of her and Ben's combined life force. He had stolen that from them, and she would take it back with a vengeance.

Darkness had risen and light was there to meet it.

As Rey had seen through Ben, she knew the light was stronger. She had felt the darkness growing inside her - force, it was in her blood. But as Luke had taught her, she was more than her blood.

As was Ben.

Palpatine fixed his force lightning on her now, streaming from his fingertips like a glowing, electric river. She quickly deflected with Leia's saber, sending the stream back towards him. The real threat was now in front of him, not just in the form of his granddaughter, but all the Jedi that came before her. This was his ultimate match. Rey's resolve had never been stronger as she reached out behind her with her free hand. She knew what she had to do next. Even if it meant sacrificing herself and never living the life she always dreamed.


	4. Chapter 4 - Ben

Ben was nearly half-way through his grueling trek up the unforgiving wall when things started to change. For most of his journey, the electric light storm above him continued at a steady pace. But then the lightning shifted away from the sky and towards a different, unseen target. His stomach dropped at the unknown. What was going on up there?

He couldn't decide if knowing or not knowing was worse.

A beat passed, and then the force was ignited with a dance between light and dark, Sith and Jedi, the balance constantly shifting between each side's favor. He was acutely aware of Rey's exertions and was utterly amazed by her. He was reminded of a snowy forest on Starkiller Base where he first witnessed her raw, untamed abilities with a saber. She was scrappy and untrained, but determined and powerful, so powerful.

He wondered if he would ever stop being amazed by her, if he would ever not be rendered speechless by her.

Ben sensed a strange, overwhelming presence in the light side of the force that he couldn't comprehend. It didn't matter, she was alive. Not just alive, but strong and fierce and she was winning, he felt it. Her strength thrilled him to his core, giving him renewed intention as he quickened his pace up the cliff.

He felt the balance slowly returning, felt the Yin and Yang of the battle above him leveling out like a solar eclipse.

Suddenly, as if the fingers of lightning had been preserving their thunder, there was an explosion of sound and energy that reverberated above him. The wall he gripped quivered and moaned as loose rocks gave way, and every muscle in his body froze in automatic response to keep him glued to the cliff. Ben shielded his face with an arm as a cloud of dust and rubble billowed down towards him in a vertical wave. He coughed and spat, blinking away the dust in his eyes. As the debris settled, he inhaled and peered up through the void.

As the air stilled, it was replaced with a sense peace and purpose. It was quiet, too quiet. After all the cacophony of sounds and energy, the silence made his ears ring and his guts twist with anxiety. His breath quickened, needing to get to the top, to get to her. Ignoring the pain in his screaming muscles, he pushed on.

And then he felt it. Ben's breath caught in his chest as he was reaching for the next hand-hold. His hand froze mid air, reaching up, his mouth slightly parted. For a fleeting moment, he contemplated releasing his hold on the wall.

He had foolishly been led to believe that if he ended his father's life that the act would make him stronger with the darkside by killing his past. But he was left weak and sad, his past still very much alive, buried further down into his soul, haunting him. The patricide provided no resolve as Snoke had declared, but only churned the already violent storm within him.

Lei had selflessly used her remaining strength to reach Ben through the force, saving not only himself, but Rey. His mother's death had been peaceful and calm. Her ripple through the force as she passed reminded him of the serene, blue waters on his grandmother's home planet of Naboo. He felt sad, yes, but Leia had freed his mind, allowing him to see clearly for the first time in 30 years.

With the dark side there was pain. He was used to pain, a master at crafting it for his use. He could mold it into a weapon against his enemies.

This, though, was like nothing he had ever experienced. It was quick and cruel, as if someone had sliced through his very soul with a dark saber while he watched, paralized and numb. It was impossible for him to try to deny it. Rey was dead, their bond severed, like losing some integral part of his being that had been there his entire life.

No, no, no, no, no... he thought. Not this, not now, we haven't had enough time!

It didn't make sense, this was not how their story was supposed to end. She was alive! She was strong and confident in the force, she had defeated Palpatine for Force sake!

He scrambled, quickening his pace, ignoring all physical pain as he closed the final gap between him and the ledge of the pit. At last, his large hand slapped the edge of the cliff, sending a loud echo through the broken walls of the dark, vast throne room. His head popped up over the cliff's edge, eyes searching as he hoisted his tired, bruised body to a standing position.

Rey was laying in the middle of the throne room where he had stood by her side only minutes earlier. The throne was gone, reduced to rubble which now surrounded her like the epicenter of a fallen, lifeless star.

No... he thought. Rey. His mouth was dry and his breath came in panicked huffs.

Get to her. Reach her.

Ben stumbled forward, grasping his broken hip. The journey up the cliff, coupled with the loss of his literal other half, had left him exhausted. The sight of her was the only thing that kept him moving forward.

Get to her.

No, no, no...

He stumbled closer to her, bridging the gap between them like magnets. His foot caught and he crumbled to the ground like a B1 battle droid. He huffed, coughing, his breath stinging his lungs, his hip searing into his nerves like a hot iron.

Ben groaned and heaved himself up off the ground with all his strength and kept pushing his legs forward, like an infant just learning to walk, as he closed the final steps that separated them.

When he reached Rey's side, he let himself surrender to gravity and crumbled to the ground on all fours, kicking up a cloud of grey dust. He held himself, chest heaving, staring at her lifeless form in disbelief.

No, no, no...

He would not accept this. He had to hold her, to feel her. He had to be sure.

Ben had fantasized about touching and exploring the simplest parts of Rey - her face, her hair, her arms. He never imagined he would only come to know how she felt under his hands as a lifeless form, still warm like the ashes from a fire.

Ben reached out and wrapped his hand around her leather-wrapped wrist. He moved his large frame over her fragile body and slid an arm beneath her waist.

He had carried Rey before and knew her weight was nothing to him. But his strength was coming in insecure bursts and was fading fast, his heart was pounding and force he couldn't seem to catch his damn breath.

Clumsily, he used his body weight to lift her. Gently, gently... He swiftly rolled her upwards into his arms, taking her place on the cool ground with his legs extended in front of him. He held her close to his chest briefly as he shifted his weight, then pulled back.

Rey's head fell backwards, her delicate neck fitting perfectly in his hand. The tips of his fingers curled through the soft, brown tendrils of her hair, falling loose from her buns. Her eyes were glossy lifeless pools - grey, frozen, and empty.

Without thinking, Ben pulled her to him and embraced her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, fitting together like a puzzle piece. He felt the remaining warmth of her body, memorizing the way she felt in his arms. Tears welled in his eyes as he took in her scent, committing it to memory. He felt his chin tremble uncontrollably against her shoulder.

Ben desperately rocked back and forth searching his mind, reaching out to the force for an answer.

Rey was pure. She was the purest, brightest form of light. She saw hope in everyone and everything, force, she had hope that Kylo Ren would turn. And she was right about him. Rey did not let her blood define her, she was more than that. Much more. She not only confronted the darkness, she overcame it. She had defeated the Sith Lord who had haunted his family for so many years, dissolving him into dust.

They were a true dyad, dancing through the waves of the light and dark of the force together, mirroring each other's movements. She was his master, as he was hers, learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Ben found his answer. He knew what he had to do.

She had saved him. And now he was going to save her.


	5. Chapter 5 - Rey

It felt as though she had been asleep for years.

The first thought that crept into her mind was she was back on Jakku with the heat of the desert piercing her core. Maybe she was waking up for another day of exploring the nearby junkyards for hyperdrive calcinators, energy fluxes, and whatever else she could scrap up and repair. She was an expert at finding and fixing the lost and the broken, reviving them for a new life.

As Rey's thoughts became more clear, her realization of what was happening and what had occured solidified like a wound healing beneath a bacta patch. She was now the thing being revived. The heat she felt building inside her was not from the Jakku desert, but from the force flowing through her, as if Palpatine's evil deed was happening in reverse.

Rey became keenly aware of a tender pressure on her stomach and a presence over her. She was laying on the ground of the dark throne room which was now quiet and peaceful, void of all darkness. Her body was supported, slightly lifted from the cool floor.

Realization suddenly flooded her like a tidal wave.

Ben.

Ben was alive and was doing this. It was his hand on her stomach, pouring his life and light into her, his body supporting her. Rey was the broken thing and she was being fixed. It was persistent yet gentle and she had never felt a warmth quite like it, even on Jakku.

Rey blinked away the fog in her open eyes as her vision cleared. She relished in the feeling of the cool air filling her lungs as she took a deep breath. Her hand floated up to Ben's on her stomach, covering it with hers.

His hand was warm, sure, and alive.

Ben took in a surprised breath and his head turned sharply to look down at her. She was just as shocked as him.

"The life force of your bond, a dyad in the force. A power like life itself. Unseen for generations..."

Rey hastily pushed herself up into a sitting position, holding him in her gaze. Ben did not release his hold on her either, his arm still snaked around her waist and his hand shifting behind her neck. He was studying her, pulling her face close as if he never wanted her to escape his orbit.

A feeling of overwhelming joy flowed through Rey. Not only was this Ben, her Ben, but he had saved her. He had turned to the light, fulfilled Leia's legacy, redeemed his father, help to end the war and save the galaxy. He had destroyed Kylo Ren and become everything she believed he could be.

Force, he even looked like a different man. He had existed as Kylo Ren, wearing him like a mask. But this man sitting in front of her possessed soft eyes that were calm after a vicious, churning storm. She reached a hand to his face, mesmerized by him.

"Ben" she breathed with a beaming smile.

The smile that grew across his face in return seemed to say "yes, it's me". At last, she thought. She had never seen him smile, and she thought he never looked so beautiful. Ben pulled her face closer, piercing her soul with his soft eyes. Her heart was singing.

She did the only logical thing to do in that situation, something she had wanted to do for a very long time. Rey grabbed his face, pulling him to her. Her fingers tangled in his long, black hair as her lips crashed to his. Ben's right arm pulled her closer to return the kiss while his left hand locked her neck in place. Every point where their bodies connected was on fire, the force alive with their mended bond.

They made the kiss last, relishing in it. It was both a celebration and a confirmation of their feelings for each other, sealing their fates. Palpatine was wrong. Their coming together would not be their undoing, but their new beginning.

Rey pulled away, wanting to admire the structures of his face again. She thought his was a striking face, strong, and beautiful, framed with a halo of silky black hair. Ben left his eyes closed for a beat longer then his eyes slid open to find her gaze.

It was so hard to believe that this was the same man she was just engaging in a brutal saber fight only hours before.

Rey couldn't contain her happiness as she let out a small giggle of joy. Ben responded with a warm laugh and a toothy-grin that spread across his face. She reached up and gingerly touched the corner of his mouth as if he was porcelain, admiring his smile that was so new to her.

Force, he is beautiful.

Suddenly, Ben's eyes fluttered and his smile faded as he fell slightly backwards. His arm shot out behind him, catching his fall. Rey's stomach dropped and her thoughts flooded with panic as she grabbed behind his neck, supporting him.

"Ben?" She asked.

He inhaled, closing his eyes and shaking his head slightly. "I'm ok. I think the effort just nearly killed me."

A power like life itself...

"What can I do?" Rey asked desperately, scrambling to her knees before him, her hands fluttering with nerves as she pushed his dark hair from his face to examine him.

Ben instead answered with a groan, grinding his teeth together and grasping his left hip in pain. Rey's worried eyes moved to his hip.

Oh, no.

She remembered when she woke to face Palpatine, Ben was no longer by her side. Palpatine must have thrown him off the cliff behind her, and his fall had been unforgiving.

Rey's attention was torn away from him by a deep rumbling and crashing that shook the floor. Her head snapped towards the open ceiling where earlier there was so much chaos. The imperial ships were raining from the sky, no longer under Palpatine's spell. There were hundreds of them, the entire fleet no match for the planet's gravity.

She turned back to Ben, "We have to get out of here. The planet is unstable, it isn't safe."

Ben met her eyes and nodded once in understanding. Rey stood and positioned herself under his left shoulder, supporting him. Ben lazily slung an arm around her shoulders as she wrapped an arm around his waist. She called on all her strength and heaved with her legs to pull him to his feet. He groaned in pain - a sound, unfortunately, so familiar to her.

Kriff, he is heavy.

Rey yelped with effort as they began to hobble forward and she tried to ignore his eyes that flicked down to her in worry. She was nearly swallowed by his huge frame and she could tell Ben was trying very hard to balance his weight to avoid crushing her. He was so weak and it was a good distance to the ships above. They had to hurry.

"I've got you." Rey promised. "C'mon, let's get out of here."


	6. Chapter 6 - Ben

Ben's eagerness to escape Exegol helped to drown out the incredible pain screaming in his hip. His entire being was focused on one thing: keep walking, get out of here, keep walking, get out of here. Rey was practically dragging him as he stumbled his way across the ground, his boots scraping on the stone. He could feel her exertions through the force as she guided him forward and like him, she was tired. He hated slowing her down and several times he considered forcing Rey to leave him. But Ben had delved too deep into her mind in the past to know she would never allow that.

Keep walking, get out of here, survive.

He felt like he was falling apart, mirroring the destruction around them, but they pushed on. They back tracked through the dark corridors, hobbling past the now-dead Knights of Ren. The sounds of crashing ships around them continued to shake the ruins - a constant reminder to keep moving. He felt Rey cringe as they passed the bacta tanks containing the cloned partial body parts of Snoke, floating in the liquid like a twisted, lifeless jellyfish.

Finally, they approached the elevation platform at the center of the main entrance. Rey walked him to the impossibly massive chain that connected the entire mechanism to the exit. He grabbed the chain for support as Rey slid out from under him and moved towards the elevation controls.

Rey swiftly punched the lever in the up position and the chains creaked and groaned as if protesting their departure. The platform shook and they began to separate from the floor. Ben watched as Rey's chest heaved, her hands on her hips as she took this moment to rest and catch her breath.

Ben stared at the haunting statues of the four Sages of Dwartii - Braata, Faya, Sistros, and Yanjon. They increasingly became less omnipresent and daunting as the figures slowly shrunk beneath them. These ancient masters from the Old Republic first inspired the Sith into creation, but now they were no more than crumbling, empty rock. He once felt as though their eyes watched him through the stone as he stalked through this place, but now Palpatine was dead, the Sith destroyed. They existed only as a dark memory, enshrined in this tomb forever.

The elevation platform shook as it came to a halt at the top of the Sith temple. The wave of relief that flowed through Ben was doubled with Rey's as they both spotted their two ships in the distance, untouched by battle. Ben could see the tumbling imperial star destroyers on the horizon behind them, debris and smoke kicking up in their wake.

Rey let out a huff of air and stepped to Ben's side and positioned herself under his left shoulder. They fell back into their pitiful hobble and moved forward, Ben's eyes locked on the two ships, afraid that if he tore his eyes away that they would somehow disappear with their only hope of escaping this terrible place.

Almost there. Keep going.

Rey paused when they reached the tie and Luke's ship sitting side-by-side. She looked between the two and Ben could sense her trying to map out what to do next, teetering on the edge of a decision.

Ben ran a hand across his face to push away the dark tendrils of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "We...we should take the tie." He said. "It's tandem." The ship was a powerful killing machine, a First Order special forces tie fighter, but it was equipped with a main pilot position and a rear gunner, and he knew Luke's fighter was a single seat.

Also - perhaps chiefly - the thought of separating from Rey made him sick to his stomach. Of course they were bound by the force, he could find her anywhere. But he didn't want to separate from Rey, not now, not after everything that's happened. Admittedly, he didn't know where to go from here, what to do next. He was smart enough to know that even with Rey as his sole-companion in the galaxy, many people would love to see him dead.

She was more than a companion to him, it was something deeper and more powerful. They were a dyad, bound by destiny through the force, completing each other's very souls. He needed her.

At Ben's proposal, Rey's understanding flowed through their bond with a touch of...what is that? Relief?

Rey nodded quickly in agreement. "Yeah, the tie. C'mon." She moved them closer to the ship. "I'll fly, you're too weak right now, take the rear gunner." She pointed to the back of the tie.

The sounds of heavy breathing and hasty hands clicking safety belts bounced off the interior walls of the tie. He heard Rey flipping the main controls, igniting the tie to life. He smiled to himself slightly when he sensed her contained excitement at getting the chance to fly a tie fighter. He basked in her happiness, fueling his own.

"Rey," he said. "Where are we going?"

Rey paused and didn't answer for a few seconds. He sensed her pondering her reply and he realized she was making it up as she went.

He heard her shift in her seat as she grabbed the tie's controls, lifting it off the ground with it's signature growl reverberating from the engines. "We're going to Ahch-To."


	7. Chapter 7 - Finn

Ajan Kloss was alive. Finn had never seen bliss like this as he floated through the sea of resistance, bouncing off the waves of emotion that exploded from their celebrations. It was as if he could reach out and touch the energy radiating from the electric crowd of hugging resistance fighters, medics, field officers, strangers, friends, and lovers.

People from all across the galaxy were gathered on the jungle planet, from every race and system that Finn had ever known. Not only did they ignite the fire that burned the First Order down, they had defeated the Sith. The shroud of darkness that once covered the entire galaxy like a black storm cloud was gone, no match for the light that now beamed through.

He continued to move through the crowd, searching. He smiled at the beaming sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces as they passed.

Finn spotted Poe in the mass and parted the waters towards him. They crashed together in a strong embrace, like two brothers reuniting after a long war. Poe was his co-general, one of his dearest friends, and they had both survived and _won_.

"We did it, buddy" Poe said as he slapped Finn's shoulder.

Finn nodded and sighed, his smile filling his face. Every moment since he defected and rescued Poe had served a purpose towards fulfilling his destiny.

Finn and Poe were interrupted by a happy growl and a mass of tangled, brown fur that suddenly engulfed them and filled their vision. Chewy roared as he crushed the two men in a bear hug, their feet dangling off the ground like younglings. The wookie set them down, grinning a toothy-grin and cocking his head to the side.

Finn felt a small tap on his shoulder, and he spun around.

"Rose!" He breathed, his smile widening. He felt Chewy and Poe disappear through the crowd behind him.

She giggled, "Hey, you."

_Oi, she is adorable. _He thought.

"How are you? You ok?" Finn asked, his hands on her shoulders, looking her over.

Rose laughed and nodded, "I should be asking you that, dummy! I was so afraid when you and Jannah stayed behind on that star destroyer...I thought I'd never see you again."

"I'm ok, I'm here." He reassured her. "We made it out on the Falcon."

Rose answered with a smile, staring up at him. Her smile slowly faded and she looked down, as if realizing something.

Finn touched his hand under her chin, lifting her gaze to his. "What is it?"

Her eyes were wet when she replied, hesitating, "Nothing, I...I just wish Leia was here to see this-" She turned her head, motioning to the bacchanal around them. "-to know that we won."

Everything Leia had fought for surrounded them: light, love, freedom from tyranny and evil. The war against darkness that had raged on since she was a young princess was finally over.

Finn looked around at the crowd. Suddenly, a warmth flooded through him - comforting, reassuring, and confident. A presence. It was happening again, this power he knew he had but couldn't understand.

He looked down at Rose, reassuring her with a smile. "She knows."

Rose paused, then smiled, blinking away tears as understanding crossed her face.

Finn sighed and looked off past Rose's shoulder. Through all the celebration occurring around him, he still couldn't fully appreciate it. There was something missing. Some_one_.

Rose looked up at his expression, wondering. "What is it?"

Finn hesitated, shaking his head, his brow furrowed in confusion. "It's Rey. She should be here by now." He looked off into the sky, as if he could will her to appear.

Earlier when he felt her pass through the force, he felt as though someone had tied weights to his ankles and tossed him into the violent oceans of Kamino. He had felt overwhelming helplessness as a hole filled his heart, knowing but not wanting to accept that his best friend was gone.

Moments later, he felt her presence return like a tidal wave, filling a void in the force like a puzzle piece. His force sensitivity was new to him and unattuned, but he was sure she was alive. She was out there, somewhere, _breathing_.

Rose suddenly grabbed his hand, turning briskly.

"Come on, I have an idea." Rose led him towards the central command center.

"Huh?" Finn breathed, questioning, trotting behind her. For such a small person, she sure was quick when her mind was set on something.

Her words came fast with excitement. "The wayfinder. Rey used it to tell us her where she was going, to Exegol, through D-O's transmission signal. If the wayfinder is still connected to her ship's core navigational systems, it should be able to tell us where she is."

Hope surged through Finn as he understood what she was saying.

The command center was tucked away inside one of the Ajan Kloss caves. It was empty, all posts abandoned for the celebration outside which echoed in the background like a soft, ever present hum.

Rose led him to the navigational computer. Finn eagerly looked over her shoulder as she punched in the protocols.

The screen illuminated with black and green glowing lights, full of lines, dots, and coordinates indicating various planetary systems.

Rose punched in a few more keys, then a red dot blinked on the screen, indicating Rey's location.

"There!" Rose punched a finger to the screen, landing on the blinking red dot. "Rey's ship is there...she's on...let's see..." She quickly typed in a few more prompts, commanding the screen to zoom in on the red dot, revealing the details of its location.

"Exegol" they both said in unison, both pulling back from the screen.

Rose looked to Finn expectantly. Finn felt his face sink, the hope quickly draining from him as more questions flooded his head.

"Something isn't right." he said. "It's been nearly two hours since the battle ended, the planet is unstable. Why is she still on Exegol?" He glared at the red dot, as if demanding an answer.

"Unless..." she pondered. "Maybe she escaped some other way. Maybe she isn't with her ship?"

Finn shook his head, turning around to rest against the desk, his arms folded over his chest.

"Rose, I have to tell you something. I don't fully understand it, but when we were boarding the Falcon to escape, I...I felt Rey pass."

Rose's eyes filled with confusion and worry, "You mean, you _felt_ her die? She's dead?" Her voice shot up an octave at the last statement, looking back at the red dot on the screen as if it had betrayed her.

"Yes...well no, not now." He let out a huff of breath and pushed away from the desk.

"Finn, I spent a lot of time with Leia here on Ajan Kloss. She told me about the Force. I may not understand it..." Rose let out a sigh, "but I know it's real. I believe you. Just tell me."

Finn stepped closer to her, sighing as he smiled and looked into her eyes, "She died, yes. But...I felt her come back. Somehow, I don't know how it happened." Finn looked down, shaking his head. "But all I know is that she's alive. And not only that, she's _happy_. So happy. I can feel it."

Rose was silent, waiting for him to continue.

He couldn't contain the hurt in his voice when he continued. "I just thought she would be back here by now. I hate not knowing if she's OK or not or if she needs our help or what if something _has_ happened to her and I just can't feel it? I'm-"

"Finn," she interrupted. Her voice was warm, comforting. "Rey is a smart, strong woman. There's a possibility she escaped Exegol some other way, on a different ship, and she's working her way back here. She wouldn't leave us all wondering, questioning. She knows we would be worried about her."

He sighed, "I know, you're right."

"She's your best friend. It's OK to worry." She reassured him. "I'll get BB-8 and D-O in here to help monitor the comms in case she tries to reach us. They'll alert us to any blip that comes across the radar. Sound good? General?" She smiled and winked, trying to cheer him up.

Finn nodded once. "Ok."

"Let's give her day. If we still haven't heard, we'll go out and look for her." She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, her eyes intense. "Together."


	8. Chapter 8 - Ben

They were quiet most of the journey, aside from Ben's inquiries about the ancient world. Rey told him about her time spent there with Luke, about how this was where Luke was hiding in self-imposed exile all those years. No wonder he had never heard of it, despite his knowledge of the unknown regions.

He was reminded of nearly a year ago, in the red throne room on the Supremacy. His former master had violated her mind to uncover the planet's location.

He cringed and ground his teeth together, anger boiling in him at the terrible memory.

"Ben, what is it?" Rey had asked. He never had someone care so much for his well being like Rey did, even when he was Kylo Ren. Even after all this time, he still wasn't used to how attuned she was to him, as he was to her. Being in close proximity to her always seemed to heighten the sensitivity of their bond.

"Nothing, nothing. Just the pain." He reassured her. He felt the ship pull forward in response, as she pushed faster through the dark space.

The planet was just as she had described it and as he had seen in her mind. It was a massive sea of blue, sprinkled by sparse archipelagos covered with green trees and thick grass. Rey guided the tie down onto one of the largest island's make-shift landing platforms.

The tie powered down as she flipped off the controls and opened the exit hatches. Cool, damp air rushed in and the smell of salt and grass filled Ben's senses. He took a deep breath, enjoying the way the refreshing air from this planet tasted in his lungs. It had been so long since he had been anywhere so beautiful.

Rey nimbly swung her legs out, hopping out of the tie and trotting over to his side of the ship. Ben was on his way out, his legs long and awkward as he practically tumbled out onto the landing platform.

Rey was at his side at once and guided him to an outcropping of stone on the edge of the landing platform, motioning for him to sit.

He let out a huff of air as he sat on the cool stone, his hair falling down in his face as he gingerly grasped his crippled hip.

Rey knelt in front of him and frowned as she eyed the source of his pain. Ben watched her as she shifted her legs under her, took a deep breath as if focusing intently, closed her eyes, and reached her hand out to his hip.

Ben shot a hand out and grabbed her wrist to stop her, immediately regretting the aggressiveness of his action as she flinched underneath his touch. Her eyes pierced into his, stinging worse than his hip. It was a look he was all too familiar with, as if she had been conditioned to fight him.

"Don't you think we're pushing our luck here with this whole force-healing thing?" Ben said, holding her wrist away from him. "I nearly died bringing you back."

"If you're worried about that, you shouldn't have done it." She yanked her hand away. Rey's eyes were a reflection of the time he told her she was 'nothing'.

"No! No, that's not what I meant." He paused as he gritted his teeth. "Not even an hour ago, you were dead. We were able to bring you back-" thank Force "but-"

"Wait, we?" she interrupted. "What do you mean 'we were able to bring you back'?"

Ben sighed, "This may sound crazy but the Jedi of the past...when you were dead-" he felt himself cringe at the memory and shook his head, his black hair tumbling further into his eyes "-I can't explain how or why, but I felt them, all of them, all the way back to the old republic, as if they were standing behind me touching my shoulders. Rey, they were there helping me pass on my life force, and theirs, to you."

He expected her to flood him with more questions as he paused, letting her digest what he had said. Instead, she replied with a simple "I know", as understanding crossed her face. She looked off past his gaze as if remembering something, smiling softly.

There was a beat of silence between them. Ben hesitated, much more careful with his movements, as he reached his hand out to her face, gingerly touching his fingers under her chin to bring her gaze back to his. Her skin was like fire underneath his, igniting some dormant flame deep within him.

He watched as her pupils grew large, staring into his gaze, speechless.

He continued, holding her chin, boring his dark eyes into her. "What I mean is, we don't fully understand this, how it works. We don't know if our chances of saving each other are limited, if we keep draining ourselves in the process. I..." he closed his eyes and sighed, willing his words to be clear and purposeful. "I will not allow something to happen to you from healing me, especially after everything we just went through. I won't."

Ben knew Rey more than anyone. He had delved into her mind, seen the darkest and brightest parts of her. He knew her better than he knew himself. She was incredibly strong, his equal in the force. She was determined, a little stubborn even, especially when she had her mind set on something she had to do.

So, he shouldn't have been surprised at what her response would be.

Her eyes turned hard and her brow furrowed. "And I will not allow you to hobble around this island in pain, barely able to walk. I won't. This could take weeks to heal, and there's not a trace of bacta on this planet."

She shimmied closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. He felt a small tug in his head, like a string in his brain being pulled towards her. He smiled slightly - she was gently trying to use the force to convince him.

But she didn't need to - not that these tricks worked on each other anyways. He should know there's no arguing with this woman, and he would be of much better use to her at his full strength.

He pulled back and sighed, his lips pouting slightly as he ground his jaw together. He looked at her and nodded slightly, indicating for her to continue.

Rey took another deep breath, placing a tender hand on his hip. She closed her eyes, and he felt the force begin to stir. It swelled and moved around her, bending to her will. Her mouth parted in concentration as she willed her life-force into him. There was no pain, only a strange sensation as he felt the bones, tendons, and muscles in his hip being sewn back together. He took in a sharp breath of the ocean air as the pain dissolved from his hip and the blood from the bruises that littered his body dissipated. It was sweet, sweet relief, like he had forgotten what it felt like to feel whole again. Warmth and light filled him and he felt strong, powerful.

Rey opened her eyes, pulling her hand away, and the force calmed like still water. She was slightly breathless, as she sat back, rubbing her hand.

Ben looked at her, his eyes questioning.

She smiled back at him, nodding. Force, he could stare at her smile for an eternity. He wondered if her smile alone was enough to heal him.

He stood from the rock, feeling the new strength radiate through his body. He felt Rey's eyes follow him as she admired her handiwork. He shot a hand down to her and she grasped it, her small hand engulfed in his, and he heaved her up off the ground effortlessly. They stood there lost in that brief moment, eyes locked, her hand not letting go of his for a few seconds longer.

She broke away first and smiled at him for a moment longer as she walked backwards towards the tie. She reached back into the cockpit and grabbed the only belongs they had - the two sabers.

Rey fastened his mother's saber around her waist and handed his grandfather's to him.

"C'mon, it's starting to get dark." She glanced at the twin suns beginning their slow descent behind the horizon. "There's some provisions and shelter up top."

She led him to the towering flight of stone stairs at the edge of the landing platform that seemed to endlessly lead into the sky.

Ben fell into step behind her, following her lead as they climbed the steps.

He looked around them as they worked their way up, taking in their surroundings. The island was utterly beautiful, full of vegetation and life. It clearly had been untouched for generations, Luke and the caretakers the only inhabitants that left subtle evidence of their presence. He admired the sunset that beamed on the rippling waters, turning them from royal blue to warm gold.

Occasionally, he spotted short, stubby birds with small wings and large black eyes. He asked Rey what they were, having never seen them before.

"Luke called them 'Porgs'. They're native to Ahch-To. They're rather cute, don't you think?" Rey smiled back at him.

He smiled too, but he was admiring the inflections of her proper, beautiful accent. It suited her so well - a perfect juxtaposition to her gritty, tough demeanor as a scavenger girl from Jakku, turned Jedi and hero.

Ben relished in the heat building in his legs as they climbed. It felt good to move his legs, to feel their strength supporting him. It meant he was strong and capable, no longer hampered by his injuries. He hated being vulnerable and unable to protect himself - and more importantly Rey - to his full capability.

A few minutes more passed and they reached the climax of their journey, Rey stopping as they approached the top of the mountain. They were surrounded by a small village of simple, round stone huts.

"Here we are," said Rey, slightly out of breath and smiling as she looked around.

The first thing Ben noticed was that they were not alone. Stocky, fish-like beings wandered around the huts, intently focused on their evening chores. They were clothed in beige and white dresses, with hoods pulled over their heads. Ben thought they looked some-what matronly, like the old priestesses of the Jedi order. Some were hanging clothes and other fabrics on lines, hauling rocks and stone, and piercing freshly caught fish that they pulled from salt-filled baskets to prepare their evening meals.

He caught up to Rey so that he was at her side, looking at the creatures.

"Are these the caretakers you mentioned?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied. "Their race is called 'Lanai'. These are female Lanai who attend to this ancient Jedi village." Rey swept her hand out towards the small stone huts.

One of the caretakers spied Rey and Ben standing there, watching. It did a double take in their direction and the creature dropped the white cloth she was pulling off of a clothes line, mouth gaping open. She called out in a high-pitched, strange language, frantically spouting and shaking an angry finger at them.

Ben didn't need an etiquette droid to know the creature was not pleased to see them. He looked at Rey, raising a dark eyebrow.

She looked back at him, ruefully. "Ah, yes. Umm...they don't really like me very much, so just uh...stay out of their way, if you can. And whatever you do, don't break anything."

Ben breathed a small laugh, smiling and shaking his head. He could only imagine what she must have done during her time here to annoy these homely creatures.

Rey continued walking forward, heading towards a stone hut to the left side of the small village. It was slightly larger than the others, and had a makeshift door on the front that looked to Ben a bit worse-for-the-wear. The door was metal, and...was that a piece of an x-wing?

His uncle was always incredibly resourceful.

Rey pushed open the door into the hut. It creaked and groaned in protest, as if it was hanging on by a thread and ready to give up. Ben followed her inside, ducking his head down to not hit the low threshold.

"This was were Luke stayed." She turned around to face him. The space felt incredibly cramped, but then again he was massive in comparison to Rey or Luke.

Ben wandered around the hut, examining the many trinkets and artifacts that belonged to his uncle. It was a strange feeling, being in a place that was so personal to Luke. His imprint was everywhere in the small space.

As Ben looked around, he realized that all his personal belongings had burned down with the First Order. The objects in this room, and the lightsaber at his hip, were the closest thing he had to 'personal things'.

He was curious and amazed by his uncles belongings. Some were familiar to him, reminding him of his days at Luke's Jedi academy, and some were new.

He spotted a necklace hanging from the wall containing an all-too-familiar red kyber crystal. Ben touched it gently with his fingers, turning it so the light from the small window reflected off of it.

All the while, he felt Rey behind him, watching him patiently.

He walked over to a small inlet carved into the stone wall that contained several jars and a compass. He fingered through various books and artifacts that Luke had collected over the years.

After a while, Rey interrupted him gently.

"You, uh...hungry?" She asked.

He flashed a soft smile back at her, running a hand through his dark hair, pushing it away from his face. He felt a disturbance emanate from Rey, as if her stomach had dropped.

"Starved." He replied, suddenly aware of his growling stomach. She led him outside the hut, into the now dark and peaceful night, the moon just beginning to kiss the horizon and reflect off the planet's waters.


	9. Chapter 9 - Rey

Rey and Ben stepped outside of Luke's hut, into the salty air. She inhaled deeply, basking in the peacefulness of the island. It was a refreshing respite after the chaos of the past 24 hours.

The caretakers had all dispersed, returning to their own personal huts for the night. Upon exiting, Rey immediately spotted at her feet one of the baskets of salted fish from the Lanai that had been moved next to the x-wing door of Luke's hut. It had been placed there by one of the caretakers, clearly as if to say "here's some dinner, now leave us alone."

She smiled to herself, grateful that they didn't have to go out searching for food. She made a mental note to pay them back later.

Rey grabbed the basket of fish and walked over to a nearby pile of embers below a metal spit, still hot and glowing red.

Ben looked around and his eyes landed on a large pile sitting next to one of the huts. He walked over to the pile and grabbed a few large pieces of wood in his hands. She watched him, carefully flicking her eyes up to him as discreetly as she could, trying to keep herself distracted by preparing the fish on the spit.

She had never known a man like she knew Ben, and for whatever reason, it made something completely unfamiliar come alive inside her when she watched him. Something about the way he moved, the way his muscles supported his large frame and the way his beautiful, dark, silky hair danced in the wind...

_Oi..._

Ben turned back to her with the logs in tow. She quickly turned her head back to her task as blood flooded and warmed her cheeks.

It wasn't just Ben's regal looks that attracted Rey to him - after all, he was technically a prince. More so, he was the only person in the galaxy who truly knew her, more than anyone else ever had. Yes, Finn was her dearest friend, but her relationship with Ben was deeper, like she could feel him coursing through her veins. Their relationship was solidified through the force, a 'dyad' as he called it, bound by destiny.

Ben had seen inside every nook and hidden place in her brain, sometimes against her will...but he knew her. She had seen the same extreme loneliness in him that she had always felt. Rey spent her entire life waiting and searching, but that all stopped when she met Ben.

'You're not alone', he had said.

_Neither are you..._

Ben dropped the logs onto the glowing embers, kicking up wild sparks that danced against the star-lit sky. Ahch-To's moon lit everything around them in a pale, faded blue light.

After a few moments, the fire began to re-ignite. Rey nimbly skewered two of the fish onto the spit and placed the metal stick over the fire. They were Needlegawp, some of Rey's favorite on the island and easiest to catch.

Ben settled in on the other side of the small fire from her, sitting crossed legged. Rey sat meditatively across from him, watching the way the fire cast a golden glow on his sharp features.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as their dinner cooked. Rey didn't mind this because it gave her time to explore his features. Ben stared at the fire, frowning slightly, the flames flickering and dancing in his dark eyes. He had a long but handsome face, spotted with sparse, dark freckles. His hair was the blackest she had ever seen, brushing his shoulders in long, flowing tendrils. His eyebrows matched his hair, perfectly forming to his sharp, large features. His lips were full, filling the bottom half of his face, which made her want to feel them more than she already had...

Rey inhaled sharply, looking away, feeling a heat build inside her. Ben's eyes flicked up to her in response, his expression questioning.

Get it together, Rey.

She smiled, nonchalantly. "Ah, look! The fish is done." She greedily grabbed the fish from the spit, burning her hands slightly in the process but she didn't care. She was starving and hadn't eaten since the morning which was...actually, when was the last time I ate?

With two hands, she passed one of the steaming fish to Ben. She took hers and peeled the scales back, revealing the fresh, white meat inside.

Ben was the first to break the silence. "I thought these only lived on Corellia." He smiled down at the fish, as if remembering some fond memory.

Eventually, when her stomach was full, she tossed the remaining scales and bones into the fire. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, kicking her legs out in front of her. Her hands reached into the cool grass behind her as she leaned back, letting the heat from the fire warm her body as she bent her head back to gaze up at the dark, navy blue sky.

Ben copied her, laying back into the grass, sitting up on his elbows and staring at the sky. She realized it was the first time she truly saw him relax, not just mentally, but physically.

Rey mused as she looked up at the stars. They didn't speak for a while, then suddenly her words flowed out of her like the waves below them. "I've spent my entire life waiting." She shook her head. "Nearly 20 years of waiting and holding onto false hope. Only to find out I'm the granddaughter of a monster who killed my parents-"

"You are more than your blood." Ben interrupted from across the fire, his words echoing Luke's. "Yes, Palpatine is your grandfather, but you are everything that he isn't. You are kind and you see the good in everyone, no matter how much of a monster they are." He paused. "Like you did with me."

Rey turned her head away from the sky to catch his expression. She remembered back to when she had called him a monster, and for a time she truly believed it.

He turned onto his side, shifting so that he was facing her from across the fire, supporting his head in his hand. The flames illuminated his long form sprawled out on the grass. She eyed his dark undershirt and her gaze lingered on the hole she had placed in it - and him - only hours before.

I killed the monster... She thought.

"You are nothing like him." He continued. "You're not Palpatine. You're not." He shook his head, his mouth closing and his jaw moved, pouting his lips slightly. "You are...so much more." Ben finished, simply.

She looked at him from across the fire, his dark, burning gaze glued on her. The way the fire stirred in his eyes made her heart quicken.

"So are you." She whispered. She turned onto her side as well to face him, relishing in the heat from the flames that warmed the front of her body.

Rey smiled and shook her head slightly as if to clear her mind. "Ben..." When his name slipped from her lips, she felt a ripple through the force, with him as the epicenter.

"Thank you." She continued. She held his gaze in hers, trying to communicate what she couldn't in words. "For everything. You saved me, I mean - I always knew you were in there, somewhere..."

Ben broke their gaze and looked down. His face wrinkled as he smiled. "You were right about me. You always were. I should be thanking you. You saved me."

Rey laughed and tilted her head back, letting herself back down into the grass. It felt so good to finally lay down with a full belly. "Fine. It's a truce, then." She turned her head, eyes catching his again.

Ben nodded once and grinned back at her. She wondered if she would ever get used to seeing him smile. She had spent a year knowing him, a cold, hard exterior with an ever present stone-cold expression. The darkness of him - his hair, his clothes, his eyes - just added to his persona as Kylo Ren. But now, his smiles came more frequently, softening his darkest features.

Their relationship had always been complicated - complex feelings constantly boiled between the two of them, on the brink of overflowing. Now, she felt free of those complex feelings, she felt free to feel the way she truly felt about him. Free to be open with him and herself about the bond they shared.

From the side of her vision, she saw Ben shift down into the grass, sighing as he laid down fully. He rested his hands on his stomach and crossed his feet as he gazed up at the stars.

Rey's eyes grew heavy as she looked up at the navy-blue sky. The events of the past few hours had exhausted her, and she had been running on fumes and pure adrenaline, focused on getting them both to safety. She knew Ben would be safe on Ahch-To, for now, until things in the galaxy settled down and she had promised him, in the elevator on the Supremacy, that she would help him. That was nearly a year ago but she intended to keep that promise.

She knew tomorrow, though, she would have to leave him, if only for a brief time. She had to return to the resistance, to let them know she was OK. Also, she could use a proper shower and a clean change of clothes. She was worried about her friends, too, and she had to talk to Finn and Poe, to let them know her plan. She was nervous to tell them everything, but they were some of her dearest friends. They had to understand...

But that could wait until tomorrow. She finally stopped fighting the exhaustion and let herself drift off, succumbing to the peaceful darkness that guided her to her dreams.


	10. Chapter 10 - Ben

Ben woke slowly to the smell of salt and grass. The roller coaster of the past few hours coupled with the fogginess of deep sleep caused him to temporarily forget where he was. He rolled over onto his back, expecting to look up at the cold ceiling tiles of the _Finalizer_.

Instead, he was pleasantly greeted by a black sky filled with trillions of twinkling lights. The milky belt of the galaxy stood out the most, a multi-colored collection of stars, nebulas, and planets. The sleepiness lifted and his memory came rushing back to him, a welcome relief.

The cold shiver that shook through his body interrupted his bliss. The night was much darker and colder now, the light from the fire next to him reduced to warm ash dotted with a few glowing embers.

Strangely, the only source of heat he felt was from a small presence against his side.

He snapped his head down and reached a curious hand to feel what was against him. He was greeted with two, squishy, feathery masses that mumbled and wiggled at his touch.

_Oh._

Two of those tiny, fat birds Rey had called 'Porgs' were nestled up against his side for warmth. Their eyes were giant black beads that reflected the night sky as they woke and cooed softly up at him.

He felt awkward because it was the first time anything had ever willingly and - dare he say - _cute _cuddled up to him.

A childhood memory flashed through his mind of his face stuffed into a warm, brown mass of wookie fur. Chewy was always his larger-than-life-size teddy bear as a child, comforting him from his nightmares, especially when his parents were too busy on political missions or smuggling something to somewhere in the galaxy.

He pushed himself up to a seated position. The Porgs cawed softly and waddled off to find the next best source of heat.

The moon was now directly over head, casting a pale glow against the island. He turned his head to see Rey laying on her side facing towards him. Her torso rose and fell slightly, the belt across her waist and the thin, white fabric rose and fell as she peacefully slept. He sat there for a moment, studying her in this peaceful state.

She was using an arm as a pillow, the other tucked in close to her chest. Her mouth was parted slightly, eyebrows relaxed, a soft _whooshing _sound to every inhale and exhale. Her body was curled up into a tight ball, shivering against the damp cold of the evening.

Ben's eyebrows furrowed together and his jaw set, aiming his dark gaze at the now dead fire.

He stood quietly and walked over to her, his leather boots rustling in the grass.

He bent down, his hair tickling the sides of his face, and slipped an arm under her waist and the other under the crook of her knees. As gently and as quietly as he could, he lifted her up in his arms until he was standing.

The last time he had done this, they were surrounded by lush forest on Takodana, only in completely opposite circumstances. Both times, though, he was just as gentle...minus the part where he had force-knocked her out the first time.

Her head naturally tucked into the crook of his arm, fitting perfectly. He held his breath as he walked towards Luke's hut, taking slow steps to not wake her. She deserved to sleep for as long as she damn well pleased and he intended to let her do so.

Suddenly, Rey took in a slow, sleepy breath and twisted in his arms, turning towards his chest. He flicked his eyes down to her, continuing to walk forward. Her eyelids fluttered and he saw the moon flash briefly in her eyes.

Then, she did something that made him freeze in place, making him want to set her down right there and run his hands through her hair. She grabbed his shirt and brought it to her face. Rey inhaled deeply, a lazy smile crawling across her full lips.

"Ben..." she murmured, eyes fluttering shut.

_Oh, Force._

Her fist remained curled into his undershirt, the fabric tugging at the back of his neck. Her breath returned back to it's previous, rhythmic pattern.

Ben approached the x-wing door, turned around, and pushed his foot into the metal. It creaked open and he ducked his head as he carried her across the threshold.

The only light in the hut was the moon shining through the single small window carved into the stone. He walked over to the small bed and lowered her down, _slowly, slowly..._

Rey's fist didn't untangle from his shirt once he had her all the way on the bed and his arms out from under her. He smiled humorously as he reached his hand down to untangle her nimble fingers, freeing himself. All he could see of her now was her silhouette in the dark hut.

Ben palmed carefully for the blaster and lightsaber at her side, removing them slowly - lest he wake and startle the sleeping feline - and placed them softly on a small wooden table at the side of the bed.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spotted a crumpled blanket at her feet and pulled it over her body, his hand lingering on her arm as he covered her. She snatched the blanket in her sleep, grunted, and rolled over onto her side. An unruly tendril of brown hair tumbled down her face. He reached over and gently smoothed it out of the way, tucking it behind her ear.

Ben turned and rose, looking around the pale-lit room. He found a spare sleeping pad and blanket tucked under one of the stone outcroppings carved into the wall of the hut.

He grabbed the pad and placed it on the floor next to where Rey slept. He pulled off his boots and saber and then laid back, covering himself with the blanket. It didn't cover his entire body, but he was used to that.

He closed his eyes and sighed, allowing himself to fully relax and return to his dreamless sleep. He was safe, _she_ was safe, and finally they were going to rest for as long as they wanted.


	11. Chapter 11 - Rey

Rey's eyes opened slowly to a grey, stone wall in front of her and the feeling of a wool blanket tangled between her legs.

She yawned, stretching his arms over head and rolled over to face the interior of the room. The sunlight was piercing through the small window in the hut, indicating it was about mid-day.

Rey blinked taking in her surroundings and began putting the pieces together from the previous night. Ben must have brought her inside after dinner but all she could remember was the sensation of being carried, his warmth against her, and his scent surrounding her.

_Hope I didn't do or say anything embarrassing._

She popped her head up off the pillow, expecting to see Ben in the hut with her, maybe somewhere on the floor. Instead, she only spotted a sleeping pad and blanket, disheveled from use.

_Hm, wonder where he is..._

She swung her legs off the bed onto the floor. She smiled to herself as she spotted Han's blaster and Leia's saber on the wooden side table next to her.

There was no mirror, so she stood and looked down at herself. The once pure-white of her clothes were starting to develop a tan appearance, like her old Jakku rags. The stains of ancient dirt and dust were a grim reminder of yesterday's chaos. She reached up and touched her hair to assess the damage. The three buns were hanging on for dear life, so she just tugged them out and shook her hair loose. A few strings of grass flew out of her hair and it felt good to let her hair down.

_Force, I need a proper shower. And soap._

She licked her lips.

_And water._

She was suddenly aware of how thirsty she was. How long had it been since she drank anything?

Rey strapped on the saber and blaster and headed outside.

The suns were directly overhead in a crisp blue sky dotted with massive white clouds. The caretakers were already bustling about their work, chatting quietly amongst themselves.

She turned to her left and walked up the short steps to the water well. The rope stretched and groaned loudly as she dunked the bucked down into the water with a _sploosh_. When it came up, she greedily drank the water straight out of the bucket.

Wiping her mouth with her arm, she felt a soothing presence approach behind her. She smiled, dropped the bucket back into the well, and turned around to see Ben standing on the steps below her.

"Good morning - or should I say afternoon?" Ben grinned up at her.

She still wasn't used to his beautiful smile and it continued to make her heart stop.

Rey shifted her weight to one hip and smiled back down at him, "Hey, I think I deserved to sleep in a little bit."

He laughed, "Of course, of course. Even if it was a few days."

"Wha-wait...what?" She stammered, eyes wide. "A few _days_?"

Ben shrugged, "Sure, you've been asleep for two and a half days. I have too, I just woke up a few hours ago."

"Two and a half...?!" She trailed off.

Rey could feel her face tightened in concern. Her eyes were focused on the ground in front of her, shifting rapidly from side to side as she put the pieces of the timeline together. The night Ben and Rey shared by the fire was not last night - it was a _few days ago_.

_Oh no._

Rey shook her head and started forward, skipping briskly down the stairs, "I-I have to leave. I shouldn't have slept so long-"

"What?" Ben said, confused, his head turning as she passed him at the bottom of the steps.

"I have to get back to the resistance." She frantically galloped down the Ahch-To steps, headed for the tie.

_Damn it, Rey, damn it!_

The whole purpose of bringing Ben here was to keep him safe. She knew that if Finn and Poe started to look for her, Ahch-To was one of the first places they'd look. Her friends were smart. If they showed up here unannounced, who knows what kind of danger that could put Ben in.

Rey was to bring him here, go back to the resistance to let them know she was ok, then come back to him, then figure the rest out from there. _That _was her plan. She had promised she would help him. She had to, for Leia and Han.

And because she couldn't lose him.

"Stop!" she heard him desperately shout at her.

She could hear his heavy footsteps running to catch up to her. A large hand gripped the top of her arm, stopping her in her tracks and spinning her around until his chest filled her vision. Ben couldn't stop her with the force, but he certainly could stop her with pure, physical strength.

She looked up to meet his gaze.

"What are you talking about?" His dark eyes pierced into hers, full of hurt. His forehead wrinkled as his dark eyebrows furrowed.

_Oh..._

Ben and Rey shared the same pain from the same scars - still healing from a lifetime of loneliness that had been with them their entire lives. It was part of what had drawn them together. They both had been tossed aside and left alone for something 'more important'.

Rey's heart sank at the knowledge that the hurt in his eyes was her doing. She was stubborn, and she was so focused on keeping him safe that she had hurt him in the process.

She touched her finger tips to his face and he released the grip on her arm, which ached, slightly. "No, no..." She tried to push warmth and comfort through their bond.

His eyes remained hard and dark, demanding an explanation.

"Finn and Poe. The resistance. They will come looking for me, they'll be worried. I have to go back and let them know I'm ok. That I'm alive."

She paused, taking his face in both her hands. His lips parted as he exhaled shakily.

"I _will _come back. You know that." She said, her eyes on fire.

He nodded once through her hands, "I'm coming with you." Ben didn't wait for an answer. He put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her forward.

She flung an arm out to his chest, stopping him. "No," she shook her head. "It's too dangerous, Ben. You have to stay here until things settle down in the galaxy."

"So you're going to fly around the galaxy in a First Order special forces tie fighter? Not smart, Rey."

She threw her arms out, motioning to the deserted island around them. "What choice do I have?"

He sighed, setting his jaw and looking over her shoulder into the ocean.

"Ben. You are still Kylo Ren to the entire galaxy." She stepped closer to him, "They don't know you yet. Let me help you. Stay here, I _will _be back in a few hours."

When he didn't answer, she added, "I will be fine." She motioned down to her dirty tunic and wraps. "Plus, we need supplies and a change of clothes."

He took a deep breath, grabbing her face and touching his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes and surrendered. "Be safe. Please."

It pained her to pull away from him, like the bond was being stretched beyond its limit.

She walked backwards, holding his eyes. "The base is on Ajan Kloss. I won't be long, I promise." She tapped a finger to her temple, "Plus, you know how to reach me." She smiled softly as she turned and ran down towards the ship.


	12. Chapter 12 - Finn

Finn's hand slammed down on the metal table, the metallic sound ricocheting off the walls of the Ajan Kloss cave.

"That's it." He stood up abruptly, nearly toppling over his char as it scraped across the stone floor. "I'm going out looking for her."

Finn, Poe, Rose and Jannah were seated around a navigational screen in the middle of the command center. They had been monitoring the signals for days, holding onto hope for some sign of Rey. Eventually, her signal from Exegol died. Finn had hung his head low as he watched the blinking red dot fizzle from the screen - indicating her ship must have been destroyed on the unstable planet.

Poe started after him and grabbed his shoulder "Finn-"

"Don't!" He whipped around to face Poe. "Don't. It's been more than two days and we still haven't heard from her. The comms are radio silent, not a single blip. I'm going."

Finn turned and kept walking towards his quarters to gather his belongs. Poe trotted after him, catching up to his side.

"Finn, we don't even know where to look, she could be anywhere by now. Her signal from Exegol is dead, we have to think through-"

Finn stopped walking and turned to look at his co-general in the eyes. "To hell we do! I've been sitting here on my ass for days." He leaned in close to Poe's face, eyes burning. "Doing something is better than doing nothing."

Poe's jaw set, nodding his head sarcastically, "Ok then. So what's you plan?"

Finn brushed past Poe and headed back to the table with the navigational screen. "BB-8."

The droid beeped gleefully, always happy to be of assistance, and rolled over to the table.

Finn knelt down to the droid. "A year ago. The map we used to find Luke. It should be stored in your memory drives."

The droid whistled an agreement and shot out a mechanism from his tool-bay disc and connected it to the navigational computer's input system.

Finn stood, eyes on the screen. It flashed, and a familiar map to an ancient world illuminated the screen in white and green lights.

Finn pointed to the planet on the screen. "There. Ahch-To. We start there."

The other's around the table looked to Poe, expectantly.

Poe's face grew skeptical. "What makes you think she's there?"

"I can't know for sure, but it's a good place to start." Finn placed his hands on his hips and kept his eyes on the planet. "Something tells me she's there."

His eyes flicked down to Jannah. She smiled and nodded discreetly.

Finn continued, "She has a special connection to this place, because of Luke. She was there before she headed to Exegol. So maybe she went back."

"Why would she go back there?" Rose interjected.

He shook his head and shrugged, "I have no idea. But we have to try."

All eyes were on Poe then, waiting for a response..

Poe sighed and shook his head. "Well, if it's all we have, let's start there."

Finn nodded gratefully.

Rose stood, "I'm coming too."

Jannah followed suit, grabbing her bow that leaned against the table. "Count me in."

They were interrupted by Lieutenant Connix who came running into the cave. "General! Er...uh, Generals!" Having co-generals leading the resistance was getting a little confusing in terms of how to address the two.

All heads now snapped to the Lieutenant. Connix slowed as she approached the group, out of breath. "Tie fighter approaching from the east! They're just passing the planet's atmosphere!"

Poe and Finn said nothing, only looked at each other and then bolted towards the landing platform.

"Wexley! Connix! Get those ground cannons up and running! NOW!" Poe barked.

The base was suddenly alive with frantic resistance personnel, bumping passed each other in their haste, orders bouncing between captains and lieutenants.

Finn was running at full speed with a flurry of questions coursing through his head. _The First Order was defeated, why would a fighter be coming to their base now? Was it a First Order sympathizer coming for revenge? Why would they attack an armed base as a lone fighter? Is this a kamikaze mission? Are there more coming?_

The same questions were flying around the base, everyone trying to get a bearing around what the hell was going on.

Finn and Poe didn't stop as they reached the exit of the cave. It was mid-afternoon, the sun beginning it's slow descent to the horizon. They screeched around the corner and flew up the steel stairs to the elevated landing platform to watch the skies for the impending threat.

There were two astromechanics at the top of the landing platform, frantically readying the ground cannons.

"Go, go! I got this! Get down stairs, tell the others were up here. Wait for my signal!" The astromechanics obeyed Poe's order and scurried off down the steel steps.

Poe skidded to the ground cannon and flipped the mechanisms to release it from its lock position. Finn stood behind him, macrobinoculars raised and scanning the sky.

"There!" Finn pointed to the southeastern sky. A floating black dot appeared in his amplified vision, spitting out from the planet's atmosphere.

Poe spun the cannon to the southeast, searching in the scope for the tie. "I see him."

Fear was bubbling up inside Finns stomach. They could not let this single tie destroy everything they had just fought for. There was too much to lose.

"He's out of range." Poe squinted through the scope.

The tie inched closer and it grew from a small dot, to a pebble, to a bird. The signature tie-fighter scream began to break through the sky.

Finn really had hoped he'd never have to see another one of these damn ships again.

"I've got him. He's almost in range." Poe said, smiling. "Come on, come on, just a little closer..."

The tie was close enough now he didn't need the macrobinoculars. Finn's eyes were locked on the ship when something came over him. It was a familiar sensation he had felt before, like he was suddenly a part of every living thing around him.

"Wait!" Finn suddenly yelled.

Poe didn't take his eyes from the scope, "Finn, I've got him in my sites, I'm taking this bastard down!"

Finn shook his head, "No, Poe listen, I don't think he's a threat. Maybe there's a reason he's come here. Think for a second!"

Poe snapped his head up off the scope, his eyes wild as he glared at Finn, "What they hell are you talking about?! I'm not risking this entire base and these people just because you think this asshole isn't a threat." He shook his head and placed his face back down to the cannons scope.

Everything was happening in slow motion. The tie was nearly to their base, screaming through the sky, a sickening and haunting sound.

_No...something isn't right._

Finn looked down to Poe's hands, gripping the handles of the cannon. His finger was cocked, moving down on the trigger millimeter by millimeter...

_No...no..._

"No!" Pure instinct - or something more - controlled him then. Finn jumped onto Poe with all his strength, knocking them both onto the ground with a thud, but it was too late. The cannon fired a deafening shot, shaking the entire platform and filling it with smoke.

Finn covered his face with his arms and waited for the debris to rain down on him.

But the screaming of the tie had not stopped. Finn glanced up through his arms. The tie was hovering over the landing platform, breaking through the smoke as it descended.

The cannon had missed, firing off into the empty sky.

The ship shook the platform slightly as it came to a stop on the ground. It powered down and the hatch door opened with a _hiss_.

Poe scrambled onto his feet, pulling his blaster, aiming it directly at the tie's door.

The steam cleared from the tie's hatch door, revealing the pilot. Finn's stomach dropped and he jumped to his feet, running full speed towards the tie.

"Rey! Oh my god, Rey." Rey smiled and jumped out of the cockpit. Finn crashed into her, engulfing her and lifting her feet off the ground in a massive hug. He buried his face in her loose brown locks. Finally, she was here. She was _safe _and she was _alive_.

He heard Poe's blaster clatter to the ground as he dropped it in surprise.

Relief and happiness erupted through Finn. His eyes overflowed with uncontrollable tears, trickling down his face onto her white tunic. Now, he was complete.

Rey giggled and he could feel her looking over his shoulder as he held her. She called out to where Poe was standing, "Where you learn to greet your friends like that, spice runner?"


	13. Chapter 13 - Poe

Poe let his blaster fall from his hands and he ran towards Rey and Finn. He crashed himself into them, wrapping both his arms around them so that Rey was squished in the middle. They stayed there for a moment, all three of them laughing and crying, tears rolling down each other's clothes.

The three pulled away, facing each other. Poe stepped forward, grabbing Rey's face in his hands, "Rey, Rey I'm so sorry. I thought you were First Order..." He shook his head, remorse and chagrin heating his body. He couldn't believe he almost killed her.

_Damn it Poe, what did Leia tell you._

Her wide hazel eyes were soft and forgiving. "It's ok, it's ok. I'm here now and in one piece." She grasped his shoulder reassuringly and pulled back, looking between him and Finn. "I'm sorry I scared everyone. The tie was my only option."

"Just so glad you're ok." Finn said, grinning. "Where have you been?"

Rey smiled, her eyes flickering strangely. She pausd for a beat, then answered. "I-I've been on Ahch-To."

_What's that about?_

Finn flashed Poe an '_I told you so_ look' out of the corner of his eyes.

_Guess I deserve that._

Poe looked her over. Her forehead had trace marks of dried blood from some sort of trauma. Her once pure white clothes were turning the color of sand, and stained with dark grey splotches. She still had her saber and blaster, though the saber looked slightly different..._interesting_. Her once perfectly coiffed buns were now gone, the brown locks tumbling down her shoulders in a disheleved mess.

_She looks like she's been through hell._

He opened his mouth to ask her what happened but Finn pressed on, "But, why? Why didn't you come here? And what happened?" He eyed her dirty tunic, "Did Ren-"

Rey flinched "Ok boys, I think that's enough questions for now." She quickly put an arm around both of their shoulders, leading them forward to silence Finn. She looked between them with a reassuring smile. "As you can see I'm filthy and need a shower. How about you let me get settled, then we'll chat, yeah?"

Rey spotted Rose and Jannah running up the steps to the platform. She didn't wait for an answer as she broke away from the two men and ran towards them, the three hugging and kissing cheeks.

Poe shot a hand out to Finn to stop him once Rey was out of earshot. He kept his eyes on her, head cocked towards Finn. "She's hiding something."

"What? Nah, no way..." Finn replied, shaking his head.

"Hey, just like how you somehow 'knew' that was Rey, I somehow 'know' there's something she's hesitant to tell us. Something is up."

"Well, she's been through a lot so let's just give her some time."

Poe raised his hands defensively, "Sure, alright, alright."

Finn continued walking forward and Poe stopped him again. "Finn...hey, look. I'm sorry. Seriously. I asked you to be my co-general for a reason and I should have listened to you. I trust your opinion over anyone else's, I hope you know that."

He nodded, understanding filling his gaze. "We're both working on figuring this out. We've got to be more open with one another...which reminds me..."

Poe was silent, letting him finish.

"So you remember Pasana, when we were sinking in the sand fields and I told Rey I needed to tell her something?"

A huge grin spread across his face. _I knew it!_

"You love her, don't you." Poe glanced over at Rey, who was now headed down the steps with Rose and Jannah, talking excitedly.

"What?! No!" Finn looked surprised, "Well, yes, I do love her, but not like that. We're friends. Anyways," Finn shook his head, "What I was going to tell Rey was about the force."

"Pretty sure she knows everything there is to know about the force, buddy." Poe interjected.

"Just let me finish! I was going to tell her that...I've been feeling it too. The force. It's real, and I can't explain it or what it means or how it works." Finn paused. "It's been happening more and more the past few weeks." He paused again, letting Poe digest what he was saying. "_That's_ how I was able to know the tie fighter was not a threat. I _felt _that it was Rey."

"So you're force-sensistive?"

"Yes." Finn sighed, clearly relieved that he got it.

"That's what you were going to tell her?"

"Yes..." Finn looked him, his eyes questioning.

Poe laughed and slapped his shoulder, "That's so much more boring than you being in love with her man, but ok."

Finn rolled his eyes, and they continued walking down the steps to join the others.


	14. Chapter 14 - Finn

Rey's reunion with the rest of the crew was warm and nostalgic. Finn had never seen D-O wheel so fast up to anyone. BB-8 nearly rolled into her legs to greet her. Chewy, most of all, roared so loud and hugged her so tightly that Finn thought he may crush her.

Finn felt at home seeing her big, beautiful smile fill her face again.

Sweet relief settled over the entire base at the realization that they weren't under attack and that the war really was over. Rey apologized profusely, mentioning that her ship had been destroyed and the tie fighter was her only option.

Finally, when she was able to get away, she slunk off into her quarters to settle in and get cleaned up.

The rest of the base slowly began to go their separate ways to eat dinner and retire for the evening. Finn and Poe were the last two left in the command center, along with the droids. When everyone else had left, Poe brought out a bottle of Alderaanian wine and two glasses for them to share. Finn grinned and accepted, eagerly.

They moved outside the cave to sit by the campfire, taking the bottle with them. The Ajan Kloss sky had turned a deep, dark purple, dotted with stars. Finn thought it was a beautiful evening, one of the most beautiful he had ever seen while on the jungle planet - or perhaps it was the wine and the return of Rey.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the peace. Eventually, Poe looked up to Finn from his place across the fire, clearing his throat. He held up his cup into the air, "To Leia."

Finn nodded, raising his cup. "To Leia." A lump built in his throat but he washed it down with the wine. It was a gorgeous, dark red vintage that tasted of blackberries and leather. No wonder Leia kept this stuff secret.

Poe leaned back against a stack of ration creates, sighing. "Can't believe it's finally over."

Finn raised his eyebrows, staring at the fire, "You're telling me. So what now? Where do we go from here?"

"The First Order is gone, tyranny is dead, but the galaxy is a mess." Poe took a sip of his wine, "We have to rebuild." He paused, looking into the fire with longing eyes, "It's what Leia would want."

Finn leaned in, resting an arm on his knee. "I'm with you, 'till the end." He raised his glass in the air, "To a free galaxy. A new republic."

Poe grinned, raising his glass. Poe took a few greedy gulps then lowered his glass to speak, "But for now, let's take it easy, huh? I think we owe it to ourselves to lay low a bit before the real work begins."

Finn smiled in agreement.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by footsteps emerging from the cave. Finn turned his head to see Rey's silhouette emerging from the command center.

Finn's heart warmed at the sight of her.

As she approached, her features became more clear. Her hair was washed and dried, mostly down save for half of the top portion pulled back into a small hair tie. Finn noticed that her hair was much longer now, almost down to the middle of her back. The clothes she wore were clean and fresh, a light grey tunic and pants with crisp, white wrappings and dark brown boots. She no longer wore the leather arm band around the scars she received nearly a year ago.

On one shoulder, she was carrying her staff and the other, she carried a large satchel stuffed full with belongings. Her grey haversack was strapped to her body as well, overflowing with provisions.

_Odd..._

She reached the two men and dropped the large satchel to the ground with a thud and leaned her haversack and staff against it.

She sighed and spoke, "I can't stay. I have to leave."

"Wh-Why?" Finn was shocked, dumbfounded. "You only just got here."

She said nothing as she walked towards them and sat down on an empty crate.

Poe silently handed her the bottle of Alderaanian wine, it's contents noisily swirling around in the bottle. She accepted and took a few giant gulps, then wiped her mouth with the back of her arm, exhaling satisfyingly.

Rey handed the bottle back to Poe without looking at him, her eyes fixed on the fire.

Poe and Finn exchanged a look.

Finn hated that Poe was right. Something was up, and it made his stomach churn with anxiety.

"I've been on Ahch-To and I have to go back. I have some..." she pursed her lips "business to take care of there." She explained.

"Ok, back up. Why Ahch-To?" Poe eyed Finn, acknowledging that his previous theory that Rey was on this planet was correct. It gave Finn some mild satisfaction to know he was right.

Finn looked down at her hands. She twisted them together in her lap. She was nervous. _But, why?_

"About a year ago, when I was there training briefly with Luke. I saw a vision...or rather, I saw someone's future."

Finn and Poe were silent, letting her finish.

She sighed and continued, "I saw Ben Solo's future." Finn tensed. Her words started to come quickly now, spilling out of her, "Because of what I saw, I knew that if I went to him, if I helped him, that he would turn to the light. I believed he was our only hope."

Rey must have felt their silent confusion because she continued when they said nothing, "And I was right. What I saw came true. On Exegol, he came to face Palpatine with me. He _helped_ me."

The tension in Finn continued to rise like a mustafar volcano threatening to boil over.

She looked up at Finn then turned her head to look at Poe. She still wrung her hands until her knuckles were white, waiting for a reaction from them.

Poe was the first to respond. "So you're saying that Kylo Ren helped you defeat Palpatine?"

"Ben Solo." She corrected. "He's a good person and I always saw the good in him. He deserves a chance."

Finn had remained silent, still putting the pieces together. She looked back at Finn, expectantly.

"Hang on, '_deserves'_? So he's still alive?" Finn asked, then he shook his head, "Also, '_good_ _person'_?" His voice raised two octaves.

She nodded, simply, eyeing him with cautious eyes.

Suddenly, understanding hit Finn like a freight train. "You're on Ahch-To with him." It wasn't a question.

She nodded.

"You're trying to protect him." He continued.

She nodded again.

Of course. It was one of the most desolate planets in the galaxy. No one knew it existed.

Which also meant that no one was there to protect _her_ from _him_.

Poe took in a sharp breath and sat back in his seat, speechless. Finn stood up abruptly, placing his glass down and began pacing back and forth in front of the fire. He felt Rey's eyes on him.

He tried to control the shaking in his voice, but it was impossible. "Rey, have you forgotten everything, _everything_ he has done to you? To me? To Leia?!"

Poe nodded, "Guy's an asshole. He tortured me-"

"I know, I know." Rey interrupted. She looked up to Finn, catching his gaze as he continued pacing. "Believe me, I know more than anyone who he is...or was."

"See?!" Finn's voice raised, holding his hands out in desperation. "Rey, he is _dangerous_. He's been trying to kill you since the first time you met him. What if this is all a part of some master plan of his, to earn your trust then take you down?"

She shook her head, opening her mouth to speak, but Finn cut her off.

"Kriff, Rey, he killed his own father!"

At the mentioned of Han Solo, the crates around them began to shake. Finn thought there was some sort of earthquake happening, until his eyes flicked down to Rey and realized it was her who was shaking - with _anger_.

She stood up suddenly, force-knocking over the bottle of wine and empty crates surrounding them. "HE SAVED MY LIFE!" She yelled, fists balled up tight.

Poe stood up, backing away. Finn felt his mouth gape as he stood there, unsure of what to say. Rey's eyes were on fire.

_I had felt her die...but then she came back._

Finn hated Kylo Ren. Not just for everything he had done while he was FN-2187, but to his friends and family too. It was unforgivable.

But now knowing that Kylo Ren had saved Rey by giving her the gift of life stirred confusion and conflict within him like he had never felt before. This man that he was supposed to hate, the conduit of the most evil and vile things in the galaxy, was now responsible for saving Rey from death.

It made no sense.

Rey looked down at her shaking hands, eyebrows furrowing in concern. She looked around at the toppled over bottle of wine and boxes as she sank back down in her seat.

"I-I'm sorry...I don't know what that was."

Finn took a deep breath and walked towards her, sitting next to her. He placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in so she rested her head in the crook of his arm.

Poe walked forward, kneeling before Rey and taking her hands. His eyes were warm, "Rey. You are our dearest friend and I have always trusted your judgement. But this...this is crazy." He shook his head, "I agree with Finn, I don't think this is a good idea. You owe him nothing."

"I owe him my life." She contradicted. "Palpatine killed me, but Ben he..." She shook her head, "Do you remember when I force healed that giant serpent on Pasana?"

Poe nodded. "Well, that's exactly what he did to me." She looked between the two men, "I was dead but he brought me back to life, using the force. If he wanted me dead, why didn't he just leave me there?"

"Maybe he doesn't want you dead. Maybe he wants you for your power." Finn responded echoing Han Solo's words.

"I will never turn to the darkside." Her head snapped to Finn, eyes on fire. "Never. You both know me better than that."

Finn and Poe said nothing. Finn felt defeated. He knew no matter what he said to Rey, she would do whatever she felt was best.

Poe sighed, eyeing the giant satchel laying on the ground. "So what now? He's on Ahch-To and you're going back to him? For how long?"

"I don't know," She responded. "As long as it takes. I promised I would help him turn back to the light and I intend to keep that promise. I plan to stay there until I feel it's safe for him to re-enter society again." She paused. "He is Leia's son, don't forget that."

Rey didn't wait for either of them to respond. She stood suddenly, walking towards her belongings. "I have to go, I've already stayed too long." She pulled out a small device from her haversack - a comms link.

Her eyes bore into Finn's as she waved the device in the air, "We can reach each other, on this."

Finn, in a last second attempt to stop her, stood and pleaded, "Rey, please-"

"-I'm sorry. I have to go." She briskly grabbed her things and walked away towards the landing platform.


	15. Chapter 15 - Rey

Rey walked briskly towards the landing platform, lugging her belongs over her shoulder. Her arms strained under the bag's weight - she had packed up as much as she could into the large satchel. She had taken her most prized possessions - or really her only possessions. The ancient Jedi texts, her toolkit that she had kept since her scavenging days, and one of Leia's Alderaanian signet rings she had gifted her were inside, as well as some essential provisions like extra ration portions and bacta pads. She had tip-toed to the men's common quarters, sneaking a few XL men's tunics and pants. Selfishly, she knew if she continued to see the hole in Ben's woolen undershirt that it would fill her head with unwanted memories.

The sharp pang of guilt sat low and heavy in her gut. Her conversation with Poe and Finn, admittedly, went better than she anticipated, given the terribly rushed summary of events she gave them - but she _had _to get back to Ahch-To. It pained her that they did not know the man she knew nor understand the connection she shared with him, but how could they? She was one of the few people in the galaxy still living that knew him as Ben Solo and she was just beginning to understand the workings of their bond herself.

Maybe his story would be better told from the source. Though she was forever weaved through his fate, it was his story to tell and she wanted her friends to see the real Ben.

_One day. _She thought.

The landing platform was empty this time of night, save for a few resistance starfighters scattered throughout. She smiled to herself as she spotted Poe's replacement starfighter, painted with orange markings to commemorate his lost love, _Black One._

She reached the tie and smashed the mechanism to open the hatch door. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her, followed by a smooth, velvety voice that called out her name.

She spun around, shocked that she wasn't alone.

"Hey, kid." Lando said, flashing his perfect teeth.

"Lando!" She breathed, relieved.

She had only just met this man a few days ago, but she felt drawn to him in the same way she had to Han. He reminded her of Han, in a way, with his cool swagger and warm demeanor. They both exceeded the legends and myths she overheard about them while at the washing tables in Niima Outpost.

His chocolate brown eyes shifted between her belongings and the tie fighter. "It's none of my business where you're goin' or what you're doin'...but you really going to keep flying that thing around the galaxy?" He nodded his head to the tie fighter.

She looked back at the ship, then back at Lando. She shrugged, "What choice do I have?"

Lando laughed,"Oh, you have way better choices sweetheart."

Rey was quiet. She didn't feel right taking one of the resistance ships for her own personal business. Besides, her scavenger instincts told her to make use of what she found.

"The Falcon. Take it. It's yours. You need it more than I do, that's for sure." Lando placed his fingers through his belt loops, shifting his weight and cocking his head towards the opposite side of the landing platform.

Rey looked to where he was motioning, and spotted the Falcon. She blinked, unsure of what to say, "Um...Lando, I can't." She shook her head, "No, it's your ship now. Han told me it was your ship, I-I can't-"

"I hope Han also told you I don't take no for an answer." He interrupted, smiling. "I was just finishing tuning up the new gravimetric compensators that Rose installed - smart girl, that Rose. Also, there should be enough fuel to last you quite a while."

Rey smiled as she surrendered and let herself accept the gift. Lando was right. She couldn't keep flying around the galaxy in a First Order starfighter. Plus, she could fly the Falcon with her eyes closed, and it was _fast_.

"I don't know how to thank you." Rey shook her head, smiling.

He laughed, his eyes sparkling off of the flood lights above the landing platform. "I know you'll take good care of her." He looked up at the tie fighter, "Besides, I've got some plans for this baby. I could strip her down for parts or just sell the damn thing and make some serious credits, now that it's probably one of the few left after the war."

Rey grinned. Lando had a knack for seeing a business opportunity in everything.

Lando met Rey's eyes and sighed, "Take care of yourself, Rey. And don't be a stranger."

She nodded, then pulled Lando in for a crushing hug. "Thank you." She pulled away and walked towards the Falcon.

"Oh, and Rey!" Lando called out behind her. She spun around to face him.

"3PO and R2 are going with you. It's bad luck to fly around the galaxy without at least one droid. They're already on the ship waiting for you."

Rey looked back to the Falcon, then back at Lando. She shrugged, then threw up a hand to wave a final goodbye.

As she walked up the Falcon's main bay door, she spotted the two droids at the top of the entrance. Rey thought it was funny how, for a creature unable to show emotions, C-3PO was still able to somehow look excited.

"Miss Rey! So good to see you again." Said the ever proper C-3PO.

R2 whirred a greeting and she smiled down at the droid. "Good to see you guys."

Rey turned and hit the hydraulic mechanism to close the bay door. She walked into the common quarters and plopped her belongings down next to the hologram table. She could hear the mechanical footsteps of C-3PO and R2 wheeling in behind her.

"May I ask, Miss Rey, where are we headed?" 3-PO asked.

She sighed and turned to the droid. She placed her hands on her hips and replied, "Ahch-To. Buckle up."

"Oh shut me down, did you hear that R2? I've never been to this planet."

She laughed and shook her head as R2 beeped out a bored expression. Rey liked droids. They never asked too many questions and they were ever loyal. They were programmed to obey and follow orders - far less complicated than humans and other sentient beings.

Rey turned on her heel and walked quickly towards the cockpit module.

An unfamiliar feeling bubbled up inside her. It reminded her of the times as a child on Jakku when she had found an extremely rare piece of scrap from some downed Y-wing or found an electrometer she could strip buried deep in the desert sand. At those discoveries, she knew the reward from Unkar Plutt would be so great that she would eat for days before having to go out and salvage again in the Jakku Graveyards. She had cherished those moments, relishing in the excitement and joy those small victories gave her.

She felt that way now as she walked through the Falcon's corridors - excitement and burning anticipation for something in the future that she knew would bring her happiness

She reached the cockpit and plopped down in the tan leather seat. She flipped the ignition controls and sighed as the familiar sound of the Falcon surrounded her. She gripped the steering and pulled up the throttle. It felt good to feel the power of this ship under her hands again.

Once she was a safe distance from the Ajan Kloss atmosphere, she punched the Falcon's lightspeed controls and watched as the stars morphed into blue and white strings.

"Thank force for lightspeed," she grinned and sat back in her seat.

She reached Ahch-To in under an hour, coming out of lightspeed just before approaching the planet's outer atmosphere. She sighed and smiled to herself at the sight of the floating blue marble.

She felt an incredible rush of peace come over her at the knowledge that she was about to see Ben. There was _something _about being near him that calmed and balanced her, like he held the key to some part of her soul that only he could access.

She steered the Falcon through the planet's atmosphere, targeting the main island. Suddenly, something jolted into her as if someone had just kicked the breath out of her. She inhaled sharply, eyes blinking rapidly.

_What the...?_

She focused - _breathe, just breathe_ \- and honed her senses. Nothing had physically touched her, but something in the force had.

Because the force was trying to tell her something. Ben was in trouble.


	16. Chapter 16 - Ben

While Rey was away, Ben spent most of his time learning as much as he could about Ahch-To. He had always been meticulous about understanding his surroundings, no matter how brief his visit.

On this planet, he didn't need to dive into ancient texts and journals to know that there was history here. The millenia that had passed on Ahch-To was imprinted on the force which permeated through everything on the island.

Shortly after Rey's tie disappeared into the sky, he snatched up the old journals Luke had stored on dusty shelves in his hut and began reading. He thumbed through his uncle's well-documented findings of Ahch-To, including the site of the first Jedi Temple built atop a high ledge overlooking the ocean.

Ben made a mental note to explore the temple at some point.

Luke's journals also revealed that the planet was arguably the birthplace of the Jedi order and therefore the polar opposite of Exegol. Luke had also apparently found the old Jedi texts, located in an ancient Uneti tree library. Ben walked the short distance, following his instincts to the location of the tree but was only greeted by a large, damp pile of ash.

He understood now why the Caretakers took their job so seriously. There was a lot to protect here.

The island was everything the force embodied - light, darkness, life, death, peace, and violence. But most of all, Ahch-To was _balance_. No aspect of the force seemed to outweigh the other here, every facet in constant flux to maintain equilibrium.

It excited Ben to have Ahch-To as his new study. He had always immersed himself in understanding as much as he could about the force, darkside and light, and the past year was mostly spent trying to understand his bond with Rey. Why was he so honed into her senses and abilities? Why could he feel her emotions and her pain, even from light years away? Why were they able to communicate through time and space? It took him months of scouring every corner of force lore before he finally landed on ancient accounts of "dyads", very rare but entirely possible.

The last recorded dyad he had read about was Darth Revan and Bastila Shan from the Old Republic era, thousands of years earlier. He couldn't find much history on the pair, as their story had been lost over the years, but he at least had proof that there was something more to his connection to Rey. It wasn't a manufactured connection, but rather ingrained in the force, their souls linked in a fateful dance between light and dark.

Now, he sat cross-legged outside in the damp evening on a perched rock near the hut, meditating as the binary sunsets crept below the horizon. He absorbed the silence and peace of this place, the only sounds coming from the occasional squawk of a Porg, the chatter of the Lanai, and the waves stirring below.

He had grown accustomed as Supreme Leader to meditation, not only to remain close to the force, but also to pass the time. Now, he found himself wishing he could speed up time until Rey returned.

He was meditating for a few hours when suddenly he heard a strange, distant cry break through the still air, coupled with a familiar, dark pulsating in the force. He cracked an eye open as the noise morphed into several eerie cries folding and echoing over each other.

Ben was fully present and aware now, pupils dilated. The moon was high, reflecting beautifully off the ocean and providing the only source of light as he swiveled his head around to search for the source of the disturbance. A flash of light caught his eye and his gaze snapped to the nearby Caretaker village just a few hundred yards away from him at the base of the island. The light grew, billowing into a fire.

Several long boats were rolling ashore as the screams grew louder.

He blinked. _The Caretakers. Someone is raiding their village._

He didn't think as he jumped off the rock, just followed his purest instincts which told him to _protect_. Anger built inside him at the knowledge that anyone would _dare _target these innocent and peaceful creatures.

_They picked the wrong island to disturb._

He flung his large body down the mountain, half falling as his boots scraped and caught against the jagged rock. Debris kicked up around him as he blazed down towards the village, kicking his legs as fast as they would go. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest and his lungs couldn't seem to take in air fast enough.

The screams grew louder as he approached, and he pushed his body faster, _faster, _eyes locked on the tribal wooden door standing in his way. He snatched his saber from his hip, igniting it and slashing through the door like butter. It crumbled to the ground in pieces, revealing the scene inside. He skidded to a halt at the village entrance, kicking up the ruined remains of the door.

He paused for the briefest second to take in his surroundings, calling on the force to help focus his senses.

It was pure chaos inside. The bandits were viciously shoving the Lanai aside as they tore through their resources and belongings. There were about 20 of them - tall, bulky creatures dressed from head to toe in thick, black, woolen garb. They wore wide-set goggles over small glowing eyes, indicating they were not human. They dawned vicious tribal headpieces, sharp and intimidating, which brandished the only color on their bodies - red.

This immediately revealed their identity to Ben, remembering Luke's journaled accounts of the nearby Carja tribe and their distinguishing headpieces. They occasionally terrorized the other islands on Ahch-To, which meant this wasn't the first time.

_It will be the last._

The Carja carried various weaponry, hand-made but menacing and dangerous. Their equipment ranged from iron war clubs, vibrocleavers, arm flame projectors, scythes, bardiche axes, and tribal swords and spears.

The power imbalance between the Carja and the un-armed Lanai infuriated him, narrowing his vision like a predator about to strike.

They froze like dark statues at the sight of him, clearly not expecting an intimidatingly large and powerful force-sensitive human with a glowing-blue laser sword.

The Carja were the first to move. They rushed quickly at him, abandoning the Lanai who scrambled off to safety. They thrashed their weapons at Ben, aiming for his head, his torso, his limbs. He fell into a cadence, slashing and deflecting their blows.

The strikes from the Carja were strong, but he was stronger. His fighting style was skilled and poised, but raw, unforgiving, and brutal. His opponents slowly began to fall as he continued to slice and stab through the creatures, jamming his teeth together in anger and focus.

His breath came in huffs, each blow he dealt and took sending involuntarily grunts and muffled yells through his throat.

Ben sensed an enemy approach from behind, so he threw out a hand and force pushed two Carja against the wall of a nearby hut while continuing to slash at the enemies in front of him. He parried, jumping out of the way of a heavy swing from a long-handled axe that sung through the air. Ben slashed through his attacker's midsection, the smell of cauterized flesh stinging his nostrils. The creature crumpled sickeningly to the ground.

Ben breathed heavy and backed up, assessing the battle ground.

The fallen Carja only angered the ones remaining. They kept coming faster and faster now, the muscles in his arms and shoulders burning from the effort.

A painful blow collided with his jaw and he could taste the blood pooling in his mouth. Ben staggered back, spitting red onto the sandy ground. Then, a hard strike landed on his back, knocking him to the ground. The pain rippled through his body as he exhaled, trying to find his breath. He looked up and the Carja inched closer, at least granting him the decency to not attack while he was down.

Then, he felt her. She pierced through their bond like a moonbeam through a cloud, yelling in his ear as if she was right next to him.

"_Ben! I'm almost there, hang on. KEEP FIGHTING!"_ She shouted, her voice rippling and echoing through their bond.

He gritted his teeth and scrambled back onto his feet. He used the force to push a cloud of sand from the ground into his assailant's faces, temporarily blocking their vision and buying him some time.

The quarrel was interrupted by the sound of a ship breaking through the sky. They all looked up and the Millenium Falcon rocketed past with its signature, bright sound and piercing blue light from it's overpowered ion engines.

_Rey._

The ship quickly settled on a nearby flat outcropping. As soon as it touched down, the bay door hissed open and she came flying out of the ship, saber ignited and illuminating her features. White and grey ribbons of fabric floated behind her in her wake and her hair danced freely in long, brown tendrils.

Even through that moment of chaos, all Ben saw was Rey, his narrowed vision now focused on her brilliant form.

_Her hair is longer. I like it._ He thought.

He shook his head and flicked his eyes back to the Carja.

Half of the remaining Carja turned to face Rey while the rest kept their sights on him. Ben smiled viciously, raising his saber and crouching down low preparing to strike.

The Carja fell quicker now, Rey flowing effortlessly through the force and her movements. He tuned into her through their connection, pulling on her strength and she from his and - _is she channeling the darkside?_

He knew all too well what it was like to face her, and he pitied the victims at the end of her saber. He could feel her seething anger and focus coming down on them, hard.

They hadn't stood together like this since fighting the Praetorian guards in the throne room. There was something mystical about the way he felt when they fought together, as if they were somehow not two fighters, but one. Fighting _against _her had felt the opposite, like ice and fire, neither element ever besting the other in a frustrating stale-mate.

Eventually, Ben impaled his final victim, then swiftly turned around, eyes searching for Rey. Almost simultaneously, she caught one of the Carja's arms, pivoted, then slashed the creature in half, putting a satisfying end to the entire quarrel.

Rey sheathed her saber, hooking it to her hip. Her hazel eyes immediately searched and found Ben from across a pile of dead bandits.

Her chest heaved, out of breath. "I leave you...alone...for just a few...just a few hours...and the wolves descend." She huffed and shook her head.

He shrugged and breathed hard, struggling to get the words out. "I figured...you...you needed...a little excitement." He felt a playful smile creep across his face.

"Ha!" She exclaimed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She turned to face the village, assessing the damage. The Lanai were frantically dousing the fire on one of the huts while the others were accounting for any injuries or losses.

She took a few quick steps towards them, calling out desperately, "Is everyone ok? Is anyone hurt?"

His dark eyes followed her. _So caring. Even for those she doesn't know._

Ben spotted a flash of gold flicker behind her, followed by the robotic sound of metal and wires moving in unison. C-3PO waddled forward as quickly as his mechanical legs would take him, arms flailing about nervously.

The droid looked about the ground at the dead, "Oh goodness me, and here I thought the war was over. Are you alright?"

Rey turned her head to C-3PO and waved a hand dismissively, nodding.

Ben began to walk towards where Rey was standing. The droid eyed him, his metal body shifting back in surprise.

"Oh! Enemy! You missed one!" 3-PO pointed a gold finger at Ben.

Ben sighed and continued walking forward, hands up in feigned surrender. He looked at Rey expectantly.

Rey sighed, rolling her eyes and turning back to 3PO. "He's on our side now, 3PO."

"On our side?! Miss Rey, the odds of-"

"Don't ask! It's a long story. Please, 3-PO we can trust him. Now quiet, I need to make sure the villagers are OK." Rey turned back to the Lanai, who had mostly doused the fire and were now diligently scrambling to dispose of the dead invaders.

3-PO looked between Rey and Ben and then back at Ben, the only sound emitting from his mechanical movements. Ben reached Rey's side now, and 3-PO choppily backed up a few paces.

Ben ignored the droid, only looking at her. He had more important things to worry about and he certainly wasn't going to waste his time making sure a droid trusted him.

He touched the small of Rey's back, "Are you ok?" His voice was low and serious.

She turned and smiled up at him, "I should be asking _you _that." She eyed the dead surrounding them, "Luke warned me about the Carja tribe. I wonder why he never took care of them himself..." She trailed off.

They were interrupted by an approaching Caretaker, flaked by two others. Rey and Ben turned to face them.

The Caretaker in the middle seemed much older and clearly of some differing status from the others. She too wore a crisp white dress and hood, but was dawned with strange jewelry made of runic stones.

Rey knelt down to the Lanai's level. "Is everyone ok?" She repeated.

The Caretaker just looked at her with large, black eyes, saying nothing. Then, the creature reached for Rey's hand, taking it in her small, fin-like hand.

The Caretaker held Rey's hand, but turned and looked up to Ben, silently instructing him kneel.

Ben obeyed and sunk down next to Rey, unsure of what was happening. Rey was just as curious as he was, her lips parted and eyes following him as he knelt.

The Caretaker took Ben's hand and placed it on top of Rey's. Then she placed her small, fish-like hand on top of Ben's, which barely covered over their human hands.

The Caretaker spoke then, an ancient language Ben had never heard.

"_Alnuwr fy yukarum alnuwr fik."_

Ben blinked. He heard 3-PO step forward behind them.

"Miss Rey, it is a very ancient language only found on this island. There are no words to directly match the common galactic tongue, but it roughly translates to '_the light in me honors the light in you'._ This is the highest level of honor and most formal expression of appreciation in the Lanai culture, only spoken to their loved ones and closest allies."

A small warmth built from the contact that originated from the Caretaker. Rey turned her head, looking to Ben. He smiled at her, eyes warm, and nodded slightly.

She turned back to the Caretaker and bowed her head, resting her forehead on their clasped hands. A single small tear rolled down her cheek like a clear, shimmering kyber crystal, and trickled onto his hand resting gently on top of hers.


	17. Chapter 17 - Rey

Rey and Ben stayed to help the villagers finish disposing of the remaining dead Carja. To Rey's relief, no Lanai was hurt, aside from a few bumps and bruises. Ben was the one who looked like he had taken the worst beating. His First Order grade undershirt was now even more torn and stained with sand. His long, black hair stuck to his sweaty face in unruly tendrils and he sported scratches and bruises that purpled under his pale skin. Rey noticed blood trickle from his mouth, and she at one point sneakily force healed him by touching his cheek as if examining his injuries.

He had noticed and glared at her briefly before relishing in the feeling of the pain melting away.

They entered the Falcon to hop over to the main landing area closer to Luke's hut. 3-PO kept his distance from Ben and R2 whirred alarmingly before Rey calmed him down, reassuring the droid that he was no longer an enemy.

People are complex and they change. Add the influence of the force into that, and things are even more complicated. Even droids had to understand that.

After they landed on the main flat outcropping of rock, Rey went to grab the large, bulky satchel, but Ben interfered, stepping in front of her and slinging the bag over his shoulder. She wasn't used to someone stepping in to take a job that she was so accustomed to doing. She assumed this was what she had heard about in fantasy tales as 'chivalry'.

The moon was high in the sky, beautifully lighting the path to their shelter. They entered the hut and Ben slung the satchel down on the ground, rubbing his shoulder. Rey walked about and ignited a few of the lanterns in the hut.

"What'd you pack in that thing?" He asked in his low voice, turning to her.

Rey leaned her staff against the stone wall and removed her haversack, "Well, let's take a look." She motioned to the bag, smiling, and walked towards the satchel. She felt a tinge of excitement build in her as she crouched down and untied the leather straps. Ben leaned up against the adjacent wall, arms crossed and looking down at her, a small smile creeping across his face.

"Ok, so some important things like..." She felt his eyes on her as she dug around and began pulling out items at random, "ration portions...tools...extra bandages...fire igniters...macronaculars...oh!" She stood, pulling out a collection of black cloth and extending it to Ben, "A change of clothes. Figured you needed that."

Ben took the clothes in his large hands, his eyebrows rising slightly. "Thank you." He looked down at his dusty undershirt with the hole in it from when she had stabbed him.

Then, seemingly without thinking, Ben crossed his arms over the tail of his tattered shirt and pulled it up over his head, exposing his perfect white skin.

Rey felt her eyes bulge, not expecting the sudden intimacy. She had seen him without a shirt before and it had made her blush then, but _now_...

_Force, he is massive._

He was intimidating with clothes on, but without it was ten-fold. She had never seen a man half-naked before Ben, and she was still not used to the way it may her feel. Were all men carved like this?

His arms and shoulders were covered in thick bands of muscle, and his stomach was tightly cinched in a strong girdle from years of rigorous training.

She realized after a few moments that she was staring silently, lips parted.

She cleared her throat, flitting her eyes away from him to the ground, attempting to give him some privacy. She felt a strange heat build inside her core and she smashed her teeth together as she focused on the stone ground.

He was unfolding the new shirt when she felt his dark eyes on her, sensing her reaction.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it..._

If there was anytime to not have a force bond, it would be now. She knew he could feel everything she was experiencing, and it made her feel like she was just as naked in front of him.

He swiftly fitted the new shirt on, smoothing it down and moving around to adjust to the feel. She smiled up at him, admiring the way the black fabric matched his dark features.

She blinked rapidly and took a deep breath as she crouched back down and kept digging around in the satchel.

"Toolkits from Jakku" she whipped out her old toolkit, home-made but useful. "So many things, let's see...ah!" Her hand hit a long, glass neck and she whipped out a bottle of Red Corellian wine. She stood back to her full height, holding up the bottle and flashing her white teeth at him.

"Figure we deserve a little celebration."

He grinned back at her in response, "Agreed."

Ben turned and snatched up two cups from Luke's belongings. He walked to the bed and sat on one end while Rey plopped down on the other end. She sat cross legged facing him, while Ben rested his back against the stone behind him.

She groaned and frowned down at the bottle as she grasped the wine cork and pulled hard. When it wouldn't budge, Ben stuck out his hand and curled his fingers towards him, motioning for her to give it to him. Her eyebrows furrowed together, but she handed the bottle over.

Ben grabbed the cork and plopped it off with ease. He poured out two portions into the cups, handing one to Rey. "So, the resistance have some sort of secret stash of Correllian wine hidden on that base of theirs?"

"Actually..." she cocked her head to the side, hesitating, "_Leia_ has a stash. I figured she wouldn't mind if I took a few bottles..." She eyed him nervously, taking a sip. She worried her mention of his mother may darken the mood.

Instead, Ben surprised her, chuckling. "That sounds like her." He sighed, leaning back, "Anytime my dad would take trips to Corellia, she would insist that he bring back a few cases of this stuff." He swirled his glass and flicked his dark eyes to her.

Rey inhaled deep and smiled at his easy mention of his parents. She hoped these little stories about his past would continue to flourish.

She raised her glass in the air to Ben's, "To the end of the war."

He raised his glass in response, clinking it against hers, "And to new beginnings."

Ben finished his sip and looked at Rey, "So, how'd it go? I see you, uh, were able to get a better ship than that tie."

He clearly was asking about her short trip to Ajan Kloss, "Mhmm." She nodded, "I saw Lando while I was there," Ben's eyes sparkled at the mention of another member of his past, "and he insisted I take it." She laughed, "I think more than anything he saw a business opportunity with that tie fighter."

"And your friends?" He pressed on. "I felt a...disturbance. I take it they didn't like what you had to tell them. That you are here, with me."

She shrugged, "They took it better than I expected. As for what you felt, I just..." she shook her head and looked down into her glass at the red liquid, "that was just me, I lost control of my temper there for a second, I don't know what it was. It was nothing."

Ben's eyebrows furrowed, seemingly still not satisfied with her answer. He paused then looked intently into her eyes, "Rey. If you miss your friends, if you want to be with them, you should go. You don't owe me anything, you don't need to be here with-"

She felt the sting of rejection and shook her head rapidly, "But I want to be with you." She shrunk back, blushing "h-here with you, I mean. I want to be here with you." She took a deep breath, composing herself. "You have been manipulated, your mind clouded for _years_. You've only just turned. I promised I would help you, and I intend to keep that promise. For you, for Han, and for Leia."

She was sure of how she truly felt about Ben, but she didn't want to force that on him. They had a bond that was engraved in the force, yes, but did that also mean that he too wanted more?

She looked down at her glass, feeling the blood pool under her cheeks as she waited for his response.

Ben floated his arm across the bed, placing a gentle finger under her chin. He lifted her head up to meet his gaze.

He leaned in slightly, eyes dark and intense "I want to be with you too."

She felt like her heart dropped straight through her stomach and down into the core of the planet.

He let his hand drop into her lap, finding her hand and taking it in his. She relished in the feeling of his warm skin. She still wasn't used to the absence of a black leather glove blocking their contact.

He continued, "Rey. I never wanted you because of your power. Please know that. I only ever wanted you by my side for who you are. Yes, we are a dyad, but more than that, you were the only person in the galaxy who understood me - what I had gone through and what I was going through." He smiled softly, his dark brown eyes glistening, "You always saw the good in me, even when everyone only saw the monster."

She smiled and placed her glass of wine in between her legs as she lifted her other hand behind his neck, curling her fingers into the dark tendrils of his hair. She leaned forward and placed her forehead against his, eyes closed, "And I always knew you, Ben Solo, were in there."

They stayed there for a few beats longer, heads together and eyes closed. All she could hear was the sound of their breathing. All she could feel was the heat from their contact and the pulse in his neck under her hand.

Her heart felt like it was trying to escape from her body. His hand grew tighter around her smaller one. Just when she wasn't sure what move to make next, he made that decision for her.

Without breaking contact from her, he placed his glass of wine on the table next to him. He snaked his large hand across her cheek and behind her neck. She remained still, eyes closed and lips parted.

He pulled her neck closer, tilting her head back as he met his lips to hers, _gently_, _carefully_... Rey's heart sang at the feeling of his lips on hers again. His were soft and gentle, full and warm. His grip around the back of her neck tightened as she snaked her free arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

A familiar heat was building inside her and her heart continued to race as if she was working through a practice drill. She felt through their bond Ben's feelings too - he was radiating heat and warmth and _desire_.

They held the kiss for a few moments longer, basking in the way their contact rippled through the force. Everything about it felt good and _right_. She had thought about how it would feel to kiss him so many times before, but never thought she would be that lucky some day.

Rey was first to back away, placing her forehead back on his. She looked at him but he kept his eyes closed, stroking her cheek. She studied his face, so dark yet gentle and soft. She thought he was the most beautiful being in the entire galaxy, and she could have gazed upon his features forever.

_How did we get here? This man I used to call my enemy, now my closest companion..._

She shook her head and laughed softly, shaking the bed beneath them. His eyes cracked open, as he pulled back from her.

As if he had read her mind, he smiled and cocked his head to the side, "And here we were trying to kill each other just a few days ago." His humor reminded her of Han and it warmed her heart. He certainly got that from his father.

She placed her hand on his stomach where she had stabbed him, "Hmmm...well one of us succeeded." She winked.

He laughed, "Yeah, yeah..." He ran a hand through his black hair and picked up his wine glass off the side table.

He leaned back and fixed his eyes back on her. "So, tell me, scavenger. What's there to do on this island?"


	18. Chapter 18 - Ben

They stayed up for hours talking, sharing stories about their past. Rey told him about her life on Jakku, her run-ins with Unkar Plutt and his thugs, and how she taught herself to fly with flight simulators. Ben told her about his time spent with his parents, specifically with his father, and how much he admired him and wanted to be just like him when he grew up. He opened up to her about his time spent training with Luke and stories about brief adventures with some of his closest and only friends while training at his uncle's academy.

At one point, Rey hopped off the bed and pranced over to the satchel she had brought. She stumbled slightly on her way over to the large bag, clearly feeling the effects of the wine. He smiled to himself and shook his head. She had returned to the bed with a pile of about 8 decrepit paper texts bound in worn leather.

Ben's eyes bulged slightly as he realized they were the missing ancient Jedi texts he had gone looking for while Rey was away on Ajan Kloss. She must have taken them from the Uneti tree before Luke incinerated it to ash. He admired her scavenging instincts and was glad she had saved them. They were filled with her paper bookmarks sticking out every which way from the worn pages.

She had clearly spent a lot of time trying to decipher these texts. He had a lot of catching up to do, eventually, but at that moment was too distracted by the half-drunk beautiful woman sitting across from him.

_...that I just kissed._

He found himself squeezing his hands into tight fists in his lap many times while talking to her through out the night. Mainly in a strained effort to control his hands and himself from his annoyingly carnal desires. She was _everything_ to him, whether she knew it yet or not, and he would treat her with such respect.

But he did wonder if Rey knew what she did to him with her natural movements. Like the way she furrowed her dark eyebrows together when she recalled a story, or how her smile lit up her innocent eyes with flecks of gold and green, or how she listened to him speak so intently and politely, staring at him like he was the only being in the universe.

_Is it possible for her to care for me as much as I care for her?_

He was like his father in that way, never the best at expressing his feelings. He hoped she knew or would learn to know because she was the center of his entire galaxy and he would burn it down for her.

Eventually, they finished the bottle a few hours before the twin-suns began to rise. Rey was adorably trying to hide the effects the wine had on her, but her sudden hiccups betrayed her.

"Alright, let's get some rest." He said, standing up from her bed and taking her glass from her.

"Hmmmm" was all she said, eyes half closed and smiling blissfully. As soon as he rose and left the foot of her bed, she plopped her head down on the pillow, a mass of brown hair tangling around her face. She stretched her legs out and kicked the blanket up around her slender form.

He chuckled and shook his head, disposing of the empty bottle and cups. Ben walked around the hut and doused the lanterns. He took one last look at her before dousing the final lantern, taking in the sight of her resting form.

He couldn't help himself, as if she was a magnet. He walked over to her slowly and knelt by her bed. He brushed her hair away from her face and her eyes fluttered open slightly.

He leaned forward and placed his lips gently on her forehead. He closed his eyes tightly, inhaling deeply the scent of her. He began to pull back but was stopped short when she shot an arm out and grabbed his shirt. He looked down at her hand, then back into her eyes, cocking his head slightly.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she mumbled, "stay with me."

He knew what she meant but he wasn't about to crawl into that tiny bed with her. No way, and plus she didn't know what she was saying, right? The wine was getting to her.

He smiled and grasped her hand gently. Before he could even protest, she was breathing rhythmically. Her hand slipped from his shirt as she was taken under by the waves of sleep.

He whispered softly before rising, "I'm right here."

Then he stood and doused the final lantern. He crawled into his sleeping pad, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He let himself melt into the floor, relaxing into the peacefulness of the hut. He knew for certain that he had never been happier than he was in that moment as he drifted off to sleep.

Ben woke the next day to the feeling of a pleasant heat on his face. The suns were high in the sky, beaming a ray of light through the small window onto his skin.

He rolled over, groaned and stretched, enjoying the satisfying feeling of moving his muscles and joints after a restful sleep. He laid there for a moment longer, staring up at the stone ceiling of the hut and blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the light.

This was the second time he had woken up on this island and wondered if the previous night was a dream. He still wasn't used to this new life and the simplicity of it. He had nowhere to go, no one to hunt down. Just be here, be present, with Rey.

He knew they wouldn't stay here on this planet forever, that their lives would take them somewhere else, eventually. But for now, he would just live.

_With her._

He rolled over onto his side and pushed himself up to his knees so he could see her. She was lying on her back, her head turned away from him. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she dreamed.

_I wonder what she's dreaming of?_

He could so easily find out what was going on in her head. But he didn't feel right about prying into her mind, not anymore. Not at least without her permission. Now, it felt invasive and their minds were already so linked that he wanted her to have some privacy to herself.

Instead, he just stared at her for a few moments longer, enjoying the peaceful image of her. He found himself shaking his head, wondering how they got here. How _he_ got here. She was so pure and full of light, how could he deserve her?

These past few days, his mind was clearer than it ever had been in his entire life. His conscience had completely reversed from that of Kylo Ren, but that also came with a clear understanding of the man he once was and the things he had done. He knew in Rey's eyes, he was redeemed, but was saving her enough? Was turning to the light enough? How could he ever atone, to himself, to the galaxy, for all the terrible things he had done?

He looked down at his hands, turning them over and over. For a brief moment of horror, he pictured the blood on his hands from the hundreds, _thousands_, of lives he had destroyed.

He stood suddenly and walked quickly out of the hut, careful to not disturb Rey. A lump built in his throat and his eyes stung with tears threatening to boil over. The salty ocean air hit his senses as he walked out and the warmth from the sun covered his body like a blanket.

He walked briskly up the mountain, eyes dark and low on the ground in front of him. The Caretakers were out and about, attending to their usual chores. They nodded and greeted him as he passed, but he kept his eyes down, afraid to speak.

He kept walking, not sure where he was going but he didn't care. He just kept moving, going up, up. He wanted to get as much distance between him and Rey as possible. He didn't want her to see this side of him, this pain and regret that churned inside him.

For a crazy moment, he wished he could leave this island and disappear. Rey was good, too good. He couldn't allow her to associate herself with him, a monster. If he couldn't forgive himself, how could anyone else in the galaxy?

He reached a grassy outcropping near the top of the mountain. He stopped there, chest heaving, and he looked off into the ocean, glistening white from the binary suns. He began to pace back and forth, his thoughts flooding his mind, pain boiling inside him.

He brought his hands to his head and ran them through his hair squeezing _hard_, threatening to rip out the black tendrils. He fell to his knees, the tears spilling out now, dripping onto his thighs. He shoulders shook with the sobs that ripped through his chest.

Suddenly, something in the force moved around him. He felt a warm, female presence behind him and he dare not turn around to face her. He wasn't sure how Rey had found him and followed him so quickly, but he cursed their bond for giving him away. He could not let her see him like this.

"Ben." She breathed, though it was not Rey's voice. It echoed and moved through the force in a familiar, maternal warmth that pierced through Ben's soul.

Ben spun around in the grass, still on his knees. He hands dropped to the ground for support, as he gazed upon the glowing blue figure standing before him.

"Mom." His voice shook and broke, tears streaming down his face. She was beautiful and regal, standing before him as a ghost in the force. She was just as he had always remembered her, her hair pulled back in her traditional Alderaanian braids and her body cloaked in a white, royal gown.

Leia walked forward, kneeling before him.

The ghost reached a small, decorated hand out to him, touching his face gently, and Ben could _feel_ her touch. How was this possible?

He leaned his cheek into her hand, warm and comforting, closing his eyes and exhaling heavily. The swaddling warmth of a mother to their child filled every facet of his being. For a moment, he felt calm and safe.

"Sweetheart."

He opened his eyes, blinking away tears. "Mom. I'm...sorry. So sorry." He shook his head, inhaling sharply. "For everything." How could he possibly put into words his atonement?

"Please..." His lips shook, voice cracking. "Please forgive me." He inhaled sharply through sobs.

Leia's eyebrows raised, cocking her head and shaking it. "My son. I'm sorry too."

His eyes widened, confused.

She continued. "You are solely bearing the weight of everything that has happened." She shook her head, eyes warm and piercing into his. "You are not at fault. You were influenced from birth, manipulated and used." She paused. "Your father and I failed you."

He was silent, letting the tears flow down his face. He just stared at her, memorizing her features and never wanting her to leave.

She placed her other hand on his other cheek, grasping his face between her hands. "My baby." Her eyes were both full of happiness and sadness. "Let it go, Ben. Let it all go. You have to move forward, don't do this to yourself. Your father and I love you, we always have."

He spoke then, "But Rey. I don't deserve her."

She smiled at the mention of the girl. "Rey is your destiny. She _needs_ you as much as you need her." She sighed, then continued, "Be with her. You are her strength, as she is yours. Live the life you both deserve."

He smiled then, nodding. She released her hold on his face and reached down to take his hands. She guided him up, and he rose with her.

"Mom, please don't go. Stay." He pleaded, desperately.

She smiled, leaning in and pressing her cheek to his. "I'm with you. Always."

And then she was gone.


	19. Chapter 19 - Rey

Rey's dreams were peaceful and quiet that night, doused into submission from the wine her and Ben had shared.

Slowly, she began to wake, blinking the sleepiness away from her eyes and letting the shapes and colors of her surroundings come into view. The sunshine was beaming through the window, illuminating the inside of the hut with a shimmering golden hue.

Rey could sense she was alone in the quiet hut, the sounds of the ocean bouncing through the open window. She could hear the Porgs beginning their afternoon calls and the Caretakers chattering amongst themselves outside.

Her lips stretched into a smile across her face as memories of the previous night flooded her head. The Caretakers had finally given their blessing. She felt a deep bond to this place, so to have earned the admiration and respect of its inhabitants meant more to Rey than the creatures likely realized.

She was thankful then that Lando has sent her off with C-3PO in tow. The protocol droid could come in handy as she learned to communicate with her new friends.

A heat built in Rey's chest and her heart began to quicken as she recalled her night with Ben. They had shared an incredibly intimate evening, filled with stories, laughter, and sweet nostalgia. She thought she knew everything about him, having delved so deep into his mind in the past, but she realized last night that there was still so much to learn about this man. The cloud of the darkside and mask of Kylo Ren was gone and she was finally able to get to know Ben Solo personally.

Rey could have listened to him speak for hours. She relished in the way his deep voice filled the walls of the hut, so gentle yet strong. She had never heard him speak as much as he had last night and she was glad he could be open and comfortable with her.

Blood flooded her cheeks as she remembered the kiss they shared, replaying every detail out in her mind. It was the second time she had felt his lips on hers, and the second time she had kissed a man, ever. She hardly knew anything about human desires and affection, but she knew what _she_ desired. And the way she showed affection towards Ben felt right to her, and he seemed to respond satisfyingly under her hands and lips.

And _he_ had kissed _her_ this time, and his words that accompanied his actions solidified that the way she felt about him was mutually felt, which made her heart sing in ways she had never experienced.

She sighed happily and rolled over onto her back, raising her arms over her head and stretching them until her hands met the cool stone wall behind her.

Rey threw the wool blanket to the side and turned to swing her legs off the bed. She was eager to freshen up and go hunt down Ben, wherever he was.

She padded over to the satchel and dug around for a few of the belongings she had brought from Ajan Kloss. She brushed through her hair, then fastened it into a tight braid across her head. She tied the end at the nape of her neck with a leather tie, and let the rest tumble freely down her back. She walked over to the water basin and splashed cool water onto her face to wash off the previous night's sleep.

Her white and grey tunic and cloth wrappings were still on from the previous day. She straightened up the leather belt around her waist, fastened the NN-14 blaster pistol to her hip and clipped Leia's saber to her other hip. She snatched up her staff from the wall and headed outside into the warm air.

Rey took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and inhaling the salty air. It was a beautiful day, the sky filled with massive white clouds.

She turned her head, scanning the village. Ben wasn't anywhere in sight, the Caretakers the only ones bumbling about their afternoon chores. She closed her eyes again and reached out with her senses, probing the force to give her a hint of his whereabouts, but was met with a black wall as if he was closing her off from their bond.

_Interesting..._

"Um, excuse me?" She asked politely to one of the passing Lanai, "Have you seen...the man I'm with? Tall, black hair, brooding?"

The creature just looked at her and smiled, unable to understand Rey's common galactic tongue and proper accent.

She sighed and looked off to the sea, "Thought not."

Then, she felt a presence appear and heavy footsteps approach behind her.

"Brooding? Really?" the man's voice said.

She spun around, and spotted Ben, sauntering down the stone steps. He still wore the dark shirt he had changed into last night and First Order grade boots, but he had put on the pair of resistance pants she had brought him. She was pleased everything she brought him had fit his large frame. That was lucky.

_He must have taken a hike up the mountain._

She smiled, ruefully, "Brooding charm is in your blood."

He closed the distance between them and she expected him to stop in front of her, but instead he kept walking until he grasped the tops of her shoulders and planted a warm kiss on her forehead.

Something felt...off. She felt relief flowing off him in strong waves through their bond.

Before she could question him, he spoke. "The Jedi Temple. I'd like to see it, but I wanted to go with you."

_Hmm. Maybe he's just relieved my sleepy butt is finally out of bed so we can poke around the island._

She beamed up at him, "Let's go."

Rey led the way as they hiked the short distance to the top of one of the main mountain peaks. The Ahch-To Jedi Temple was carved into the rock, molded and shaped permanently into the island.

They were silent on their ascent, only the sounds of their breathing to fill the space between them.

They approached the main entrance, a crumbling, rocky void in the rock that was flanked by two ancient statues of some Jedi past. Rey could feel the force radiating through this place, as she had before when she was there with Luke.

They entered the temple and were immediately engulfed by the large, main room. The area was massive and omnipresent, but simple and void of any decor.

"Luke mentioned this place was the first of many Jedi temples built throughout the galaxy," Rey said, her voice echoing off the enormous walls.

Ben looked up, his hair falling back behind his head as he scanned the ceiling.

Rey continued, "One of the few not demolished by the Empire."

"Interesting. And the Empire was known for exploring the unknown regions. This planet really has been well hidden, even from the Sith." Ben responded, walking around the large room, gazing at the walls that had been smoothed down from thousands of years of erosion.

Ben turned and walked towards the mosaic on the center of the floor. Water trickled slowly onto the image and formed a small pool, echoing the only sound in the room.

Ben knelt to his knees, studying the mosaic.

"The Prime Jedi." Rey walked forward and knelt beside him.

"The first Jedi..." Ben mused, dark eyes scanning the image. He reached a large hand out, and touched the pool of water. Tiny waves rippled slowly at his touch. "The perfect balance between light and dark."

Ben moved his hand away and Rey turned to sit on the ledge of the mosaic.

"Can I ask you something? About the force." Rey said, quietly.

Ben's head snapped up to her and he shifted to sit next to her. He slung his arms on his bent knees and stared at her, giving her his full attention. "Anything."

Rey didn't know why, but she was suddenly nervous. Would she sound foolish? She had only just come to understand the force this past year, but Ben was a master of it. He had studied it his entire life.

"When you're...well, I know it hasn't been that long since you, um, turned but...do you use all aspects of the force? When we were fighting the Carja - were you using the dark side _and _the light?" Her eyes searched his, eager for an answer.

His eyes narrowed and his lips became a hard line as he contemplated his answer.

"I believe all aspects of the force should be accessed." He shook his head. "I think the Jedi and the Sith both got it wrong, only trying to use one side. I mean, look at where it got them."

Rey was silent as she nodded.

Ben looked down at the mosaic figure and continued, "Take the Prime Jedi for example. He's made of both sides of the force, dark and light. Somewhere over the years, the Jedi and Sith lost sight of that." He turned his eyes back to her, serious. "So, yes. I still use the dark side." He paused, looked down, then continued, "But also the light. The key is _balance_. The force is a whole, not two separate sides."

She nodded, "I understand." She hesitated, then continued, "I-I do too...use both sides." It was the first time she ever admitted it outloud, though she always knew it to be true. "It's always scared me, tapping into the dark, but..." she trailed off, and shrugged.

He shifted his body to face her head on, "I know. You've always been afraid of the darkness that is naturally inside you. I get it. You just have to keep the two in balance." He smiled and motioned to himself, "We both know what happens when you don't."

Rey looked up at him and nodded. She shivered. Even though she knew he was right, his words still chilled her.

Ben looked off to the wall in front of them, moving his jaw in thought as silence filled the large room.

Then, he turned his head back to her, eyes a dark, piercing brown with shimmering light reflecting from the afternoon light. "So, you're saying you do use the dark side? And the light?"

She nodded, staring up at him. "Not well, but I try...when I have to."

He smiled, "Show me."


	20. Chapter 20 - Finn

Time passed slowly on Ajan Kloss. Finn and the rest of the resistance had spent an entire year running and fighting. Having nothing to run from or anyone to fight still didn't feel normal.

Finn was also still processing Rey's sudden departure. She had been gone nearly two days and in that time frame, he had experienced every possible emotion known to man.

Confusion, because how could she? Sadness, because he missed her. He felt guilty because was he a bad friend for letting her go? Should he have done more to stop her? He felt foolish that he hadn't seen or understood a relationship that had been brewing right in front of his eyes. He felt helpless, as if there was nothing he could do to stop her from leaving or to save her from getting hurt.

_Or worse._

But most of all, he was angry because it was Kylo Ren, of all the damn men in the galaxy, Rey had to choose him.

Poe didn't say much on the matter. Finn figured it was because Poe was just as shocked and confused as he was. Or maybe, it was because he was busy planning where and how to start rebuilding the galaxy.

The one relief was Finn's budding relationship with Rose. They were separated most of their first year of knowing each other - Rose usually remained on the base with Leia while Finn was off on some special resistance mission. But now, there was no war to keep them from exploring their feelings for each other.

Rose was keenly tuned in to his current disposition. She sought him out, knowing he needed someone to lean on, and he needed it more than he cared to admit. Outside of Poe, he only trusted her to not tell anyone that it was Kylo Ren that Rey was with. He had to keep it quiet, at least until they figured out how things were going to play out.

_That's the worst part. Waiting._

One evening, Finn was spilling his thoughts out to Rose in his quarters, away from prying ears. The sweet girl listened intently and silently, letting him get everything off his chest. Rose had really transformed from the rough-around-the-edges mechanical engineer to a smart, sophisticated, brave, _beautiful _woman, inside and out.

Finn took a deep breath and paused, closing his eyes to focus. His words were getting away from him and he was worried he wasn't making any sense.

He heard Rose step closer to him.

"Finn." She told him, "I've hated the First Order since I was a child. They destroyed my home, Hays Minor, along with my family." She paused, looking off with watering eyes. "I still remember those pristine, white stormtroopers flinging innocent people out of their homes like garbage, blasting anyone who protested."

Rose leaned in close to Finn, grasping his face in her hands.

"But Finn. I have to believe that the First Order was made up of pawns, that there can't be _that much_ evil in the galaxy. Those stormtroopers were forced to do what they did, manipulated, like you. Like Jannah."

Finn stared into her dark eyes, remaining silent.

Rose leaned back. "We have to see the humanity in people, even in the most vile. Maybe...maybe Kylo Ren was just a pawn. Like so many others. Maybe that's what Rey sees in him. She sees Ben Solo, not Kylo Ren - just as she saw you, and not FN-2187."

Finn set his lips in a hard line. "I'm...trying. I am. It's just so hard to see good in _him_."

Rose nodded, "I know. But look closer - you may eventually see what Rey sees."

He hung his head, looking down at his twiddling fingers.

Rose leaned forward and kissed his forehead, gently. "I have to go calibrate the Tantive IV's drive units and engine projectors. Rumour is, we'll be leaving this planet soon."

Finn sighed and nodded, grabbing her hand to stop her as she turned to walk away. "Thank you, Rose. Really."

She smiled that adorable smile he loved, then turned briskly to continue her work.

_Leaving this planet soon, huh?_

He suddenly felt a pang of guilt as he realized he had been moping around the base ever since Rey left and had completely neglected his co-general duties, leaving it all up to Poe.

He sprung up from his quarters and started down the hallways to find Poe.

Finn spotted Chewy in the small dining hall, gobbling down some poor half-burnt native Ajan-Kloss bird. "Chewy! Hey, Chewy. You know where Poe is?"

The wookie groaned a reply, indicating Poe was in his quarters going over galaxy charts and New Republic rosters.

Finn trotted off to Poe's quarters, knocking urgently on the door until he answered.

The door swung open to reveal Poe, his hair a bit disheveled from stress.

"Finn." Poe said, half surprised.

"Poe, hey, look - I'm sorry. I've be a terrible co-general, leaving you alone to plan-"

Poe interrupted, leaning forward and slapping Finn's arm, "Hey man, don't worry about it. I know you've been going through a lot since Rey left. I haven't fully processed it myself, but then again she is a frustrating..." he sighed and shook his head, "such a frustrating and complicated girl." He opened the door wider, "Come in."

Finn walked into Poe's quarters, which looked like a seismic charge had gone off.

_That's unlike him._

Yesterday's clothes were thrown on the ground and his sheets were tangled in a wrinkled ball at the foot of the bed. Poe's desk was littered with star charts, ship schematics, inventory listings, and historical documents which flooded onto the floor. His mobile coms-computer was resting on top of a pile of paperwork.

"Woah. Never took you for a reader." Finn remarked. "Also, just being in here gives me anxiety."

Poe looked back at his desk then at the clothes on the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, you're tellin' me. But I've got to figure this out, I can't let them down. Not now, not after everything."

Finn walked towards the desk, grabbing a few of the spare papers and thumbing through them. "Who have you been in contact with? We know there's thousands of people who supported the cause, given what happened on Exegol."

"I've talked to some from the colonies and the core worlds...but most are just as lost as we are." Poe replied. "Most of the galaxy has been operating under their own rules since the destruction of the Republic."

"Hmm.." Finn rubbed his chin and began pacing around the room. "They need leaders. They followed us to battle in Exegol...do you think they'll follow us now? To help us rebuild?"

Poe shrugged, shaking his head. "We have try, to avoid tyranny from resurfacing."

Finn nodded. "Well..it starts with a meeting place, a capital. Then, we communicate and bring together a group of representatives from the entire galaxy, and discuss how to move forward. A democracy."

Poe smiled, teasing, "Woah. Never took you for a politician."

Finn threw his hands up, defensively, "Hey, no I don't want to be involved with politics. I'm just fiercely protective of what we've fought for. And this seems like the most logical option." He shrugged.

Poe turned back to his desk, approaching the strewn out papers. He picked up a galaxy chart, furrowing his brow as he studied it.

"Ok, so a capital." Poe's eyes flicked across the map. "Coruscant is the obvious answer, but it's clouded by the shadow of the empire...hmmm...Chandrila? Chandrila was the temporary capital for the New Republic."

Finn nodded, "A good option. Just next door and along the Perlemian Trade Route."

"True.." Poe's eyes continued to flick across the page, "Taanab? Great farming planet. Umm... Corellia? No, far too lawless. Tython? No one knows much about that planet, but it's a deep core world."

"Naboo? I've always wanted to see Naboo..." Finn mused.

"That could be one of our better options. Most law and order resides there, but it's mid-rim." Poe responded.

Finn shook his head, "Maybe we should get away from the core worlds...so much of the imperial influence is still there." Finn rebuked. "As long as we are on a major trade route...I mean, this is our opportunity to get away from what has been done in the past. To _truly _rebuild."

The pair were quiet for a moment, pondering. Poe ran a hand across his face.

Poe sighed, flinging the galaxy chart back on the table and placing his hands on his hips. "You know what? Think we need to chat with an expert who may know this stuff better."

"Lando?" Finn asked.

"Yep, Lando." Poe nodded. Poe brushed past Finn and he followed briskly out the door.


	21. Chapter 21 - Rey

"Aghhh!" Rey yelled and spun, twirling her staff over her head and swinging downwards and aimed at Ben's shoulder. He deflected, catching her staff with his weapon and pushing away her blow with ease. Rey stumbled backwards.

He wielded an old piece of a power coupling Rey snatched from inside the Falcon. It was strong and sturdy, about the length of a lightsaber, minus the deadly blade.

Ben and Rey were on a sunny, flat hilltop near the ancient village. Their feet tore through the grass beneath them as they twirled and dodged each other's swings. Rey enjoyed the stinging heat that was building in her muscles because she had missed training with her staff. It was her favorite weapon to wield, but unfortunately not always lethal for serious combat.

Rey countered Ben's deflection with the other end of her staff and he blocked it again, swinging around to catch the blow.

It felt a little strange to spar with Ben like this. It was the first time they weren't actually trying to hurt - or kill - each other, yet it all felt so familiar. She knew all of his movements and he knew hers, seeing each other's intentions milliseconds before they acted. Their bond made it nearly impossible to best each other, like two moving as one.

Ben's face during combat was all too familiar to Rey. He didn't carry the same darkness and anger that he had as Kylo Ren, but his face was still just as focused and intense, eyes bright and on fire from the excitement of physical combat.

Rey tried hard to tune out her natural instinct to not hurt him. She had to have faith that he would deflect her attacks, and each time he proved her right.

However, the competitiveness in her still made her want to _win_, to succeed.

Rey called on the force, as she always did, to help her overcome his raw, physical strength. Without it, she would be no match for him, but she was able to channel the force into her swings, making them powerful enough to send him stumbling backwards when executing a full attack.

Rey breathed heavily, backing up and holding her staff at her thighs with both hands. Sweat began to build on her forehead and trickle down her chest. Long strands of Ben's black hair stuck to his face and neck.

Ben backed up too, eyeing her like a predator.

"You need a break?" He asked.

Rey felt a strange sting of fury build in her chest at that question. "No! What? No."

Ben grinned, crouching low and flourishing the power coupling around his body. His eyes remained locked on her, waiting for his prey's next move.

Rey frowned and called on the force, evening her breath. She ground her teeth, setting her lips into a hard line.

She inhaled suddenly, spinning to gain momentum and swinging her staff back in his direction, aiming for his side. He deflected and she quickly hopped back, dodging a quick swipe he took at her midsection.

She turned and thrust her staff forward in a stabbing motion, aiming for his stomach. He parried, turning suddenly and wacking her _hard _in the back with the power coupling.

Rey yelped, standing up straight and walking it out, breathing heavily. The blow stung and made her face redden with chagrin.

"Ow." She growled, glaring at him.

Ben shrugged, "Had that been a lightsaber, you'd be dead." He crouched low again, "Try harder."

Rey cocked her head to the side and gave him a 'what-the-hell-did-you-just-say-to-me' look. She lunged at him then, a tinge of annoyance fueling her strike.

She dished out several solid blows, all of which he deflected or doged. The sounds of their grunting and groaning filled the hilltop and bounced off the rock of the island.

In between a set of cadences, they paced around each other in a circle like vultures, eyes never leaving each other. Suddenly, Ben came forward _hard _on the offensive, driving Rey backwards, her boots scuffing through the grass below her.

Her chest was heaving now and she drew upon the force to help balance the strength of his attacks. He was a blur of black coming at her and for a brief moment she worried he may snap her beloved staff in two.

Rey focused, harnessing the force to tell her Ben's next move. She saw his step a split second before he made it, and she moved quickly the opposite way, landing a solid blow on the side of his right arm.

Ben grunted loudly and ground his jaw together, rubbing his arm.

"Ow." He said, glaring at her.

Rey shrugged and winked. "Try harder."

Ben grinned viciously, and she didn't give him time to rest as she lunged forward at him again, swinging and twirling her staff in his direction.

Suddenly, Ben parried through her next swing and unexpectedly landed yet another stinging blow on the back of her thighs. She heard him jump back and chuckle, clearly happy with his work.

Rey turned away from him, inhaling deeply through the pain. She felt pure anger uncontrollably build inside her then. She did not like being bested in combat and she knew she was better than this. She closed her eyes, latching onto the pain and harnessing it, mirroring what she had felt Ben do so many times before.

She felt the dark energy flow through her, thick and potent like lava. The feeling was familiar, but she had never accepted it like this before. She let go, and allowed the fire to ignite inside her. It burned intensely bright, ringing in her ears and radiating power and heat from her chest down to her finger tips.

_I'm going to make him wish he never asked to see this._

She snapped open her eyes, witnessed her vision narrow like a hawk, and turned back to Ben to face him.

Ben was crouched to fight but raised slowly at the sight of her and his mouth parted into a small "O".

"_There it is_," he whispered, barely audible but she could hear him due to her heightened senses.

Something deep inside her told her not to hurt him but the anger that flowed through her screamed the opposite, and right now that voice was louder.

Rey stepped slowly towards him and he sprung back down into a defensive crouch. She felt a grin melt slowly across her face as she began to pace before him like a lioness. Her eyes were low, only seeing him as everything else blurred out of focus. Her grip on her staff tightened and she felt her knuckles whiten.

Ben took a deep breath in, then stood suddenly and attacked. He swung his weapon towards her and she caught the blow with her staff, shoving the weight of him off her with the force. Ben stumbled back, and Rey stalked closer to him, slowly.

He spun and attacked again, but she blocked, turned and counter attacked. He caught the hit, grunting from the force of it.

Rey let out a small huff of air, a breathless laugh that she had never heard before.

She stepped backwards, pivoting, and came at him with full power. Her grunts were high pitched against his low ones as they battled.

At one point in the brawl, she slapped his leg with her staff, returning the blow from earlier. Rey smiled breathlessly, pleased with herself.

Ben came at her, swinging at full force. He spun and aimed a blow straight down at the top of her head. She extended her staff above her and caught the strike. They held there for a moment, eyes locked as they waited to see who would break first.

Ben surprised her by dropping his weapon. She held her staff up, eyeing his weapon in slow motion as it fell to the grass. His hands were suddenly on her staff, grabbing the middle. Before she could react, he spun her around quickly, the world a blur for a half second. Then, he was gone, no longer in front of her.

Ben had Rey pressed up against his torso, pinned between him and her staff. Her arms were locked at her sides and he squeezed _hard_, using his physical strength over hers to his advantage. She could feel his chest heave against her back side, and his breath came in sharp huffs that blew tendrils of her brown hair in her face.

She wriggled trying to escape, grinding her teeth and struggling against him.

"Uh uh." Ben tutted at her. He squeezed harder.

Rey relaxed suddenly, an idea creeping up through the tendrils of the thick darkness that still flowed through her.

She turned her head towards him, tilting her head up to meet his neck. Her eyes were met with thick cords of muscle and small freckles that dotted his skin there. She breathed slowly against his soft skin, then began to softly kiss his neck, moving her tongue across his skin. With her hands pinned to her sides, she turned her right hand and grasped his upper thigh, squeezing hard.

Rey could taste the salt on his skin as she worked and she groaned slightly.

Ben froze at first then practically melted under her touch. She felt his hold soften on her staff as he exhaled as sigh, giving her just enough room to free an arm from his grasp. She pulled her arm forward and drove her elbow into his stomach, grabbing her staff, and dancing away from him.

Ben doubled over, the breath knocked out of him.

"Agh...ok...that was...the worst...possible thing you...you...could have done...in that moment." He said in between breaths, shaking his head and holding his stomach.

At the sight of him in pain, Rey shook her head and cleared the fog that riddled her. The thick lava of darkness washed away and was replaced by cool balance. She felt like herself again.

_What just happened? _

Rey moved a shaky hand to her lips, still tasting the salt of him. She looked at her hands then back at him, her eyes wide with confusion.

Ben slowly stood to his full height.

She dropped her staff to the ground and shook her head, frowning down at her hands.

_That wasn't right._

"I shouldn't have done that." She said, shakily. "I'm sorry, that...that wasn't me."

Ben shook his head, taking a step closer to her with his hand extended, "Rey-"

"No! Please, no." She extended both hands out and backed away, begging him to come no further.

Ben stopped in his tracks, his hand lowering.

"Please, that wasn't me, I don't know...I'm so sorry, I...are you ok?" Her words were spilling out of her, "Ben, I can't control it, I-" Her voice caught in her throat, her words shaking.

Ben's eyebrows furrowed, taking another slow, careful step closer to her.

Her eyes watered, threatening to overflow, "Don't make me do that again, I don't want to hurt you again like...like that. I didn't like myself in that state, please-"

"Rey, shhh." He closed the space between them then in two giant strides, grasping her against her will and crushing her to his chest.

She surrendered and took in the scent of him, her face pressed against his chest. Sobs began to erupt out of her, tears wetting his black shirt.

"I'm sorry-"

"Rey, please stop saying that." He pulled away slightly to crane her face up to his. He grabbed her face in between his hands and forced her to look into his eyes. "I'm ok. Don't worry about me. I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to push you, I shouldn't have done that."

Ben shook his head as his eyes darted back and forth as they searched hers, brows furrowing in concern.

She stared up into his dark brown eyes, his black hair tumbling to frame his face like a halo.

She shook her head in between his hands and exhaled. She closed her eyes and grabbed his waist, pulling him back to her as she buried her face in his chest.


	22. Chapter 22 - Ben

It felt good to hold her, despite the circumstances and the pool of tears wetting his shirt.

He shouldn't have pushed her so hard. He was the one who asked her to let go and show him how she could use the dark side. It had clearly scared her and he had underestimated that.

_You idiot, Ben._

He sighed and pulled her away from him, examining her face between his hands. He smiled down at her reassuringly as he used his thumbs to wipe away the wetness on her cheeks. Her nose was adorably red, eyes glistening a vibrant hazel illuminated from the sunny day.

Ben cocked his head to the side, motioning to the nearby cliff that overlooked the ocean.

"Come here," He guided her over to sit on the grassy hillside. The energy between them fizzled, still radiating off each other from their sparring. His muscles still burned from the effort and sweat pooled behind his neck. The wind that blew against his tear-soaked shirt pleasantly cooled his warm skin underneath.

They melted to the ground, resting on the cool grass and looking out onto the ocean, glowing silver from the high suns. Ben spotted a few fingerlip garpon jumping out of the water below, their scales sparkling in the light.

Rey crossed her legs and began playing with a few strands of grass in front of her. Ben splayed out next to her, arms propped up behind him and legs extended. The cool breeze was refreshing after their violent dance.

Ben shivered as he ran a hand across the side of his neck, still wet from her kiss.

He was first to speak, "So out of all the blows you landed just now, that one bothered you the most?"

Rey frowned, shaking her head, "No. I know you can handle it." She smiled up at him, ruefully. "It's me. None of what I just did was _me_."

_Well, that's unfortunate because I certainly enjoyed that last bit up until you knocked the breath out of me._

He nodded slowly, "Ok...it scared you." It wasn't a question. As Kylo Ren, his approach would have been much different. He would have told her to be strong, embrace it, don't be afraid.

But he was not that man anymore.

She nodded. "I...had no control. I couldn't control my own power. I was seeing red, my thoughts narrowed on one objective: hurt you, _kill _you. And up 'till the end-" she blushed "-I _manipulated _you to get out of your hold."

"It worked." Ben mumbled under his breath.

Rey sighed and looked back up at him, eyes helpless, "How do you do it? How do you not lose control?"

He smiled down at her, "I spent years letting the dark side control me, years consumed by it. Eventually, I wanted it to control everything and everyone I knew - including you." He frowned and looked off to the ocean.

"After I felt my mother...die," he paused and swallowed the quickly forming lump in his throat, "something in me changed. I mean, yes, the cloud of the darkside lifted, but not just that. For the first time in 30 years, I was in control. I made the decision then that I was going to decide for myself how I wanted my life to go."

He looked down at Rey who was silent, her eyes sparkling and curious. He inhaled and continued, "I didn't choose the light or the dark, I chose the force. I chose control. I chose my mother and father's legacy. I chose _you_."

Rey blushed, smiling and looking down into the grass at her fingertips. "I'm...so happy you did."

Ben slowly raised a finger, touching the side of her cheek where a wild strand of dark brown hair danced across her face. He tucked it behind her ear and felt her shiver slightly. Her eyes closed and she inhaled, smiling. He sensed through their bond her refined focus on his touch, as if it was all she could feel at that moment.

"I want choice and control for you too, Rey." Ben said, leaning in slightly. "I'll help you."

Suddenly, he sensed a disturbance approach behind them, following by the familiar sound of mechanical, rhythmic footfalls in the grass.

Ben whipped his head around, his hand still raised to her cheek. C-3PO was shuffling his way towards them, a glowing, golden humanoid figure among the green of the ground.

"Oh dear, goodness, if I had lungs I would be absolutely out of breath right now! So many hills..." The droid exclaimed.

Ben dropped his hand, rolled his eyes and sighed, turning his gaze back in front of him and placing his arms on bent knees.

_Moment ruined by a droid...you're lucky Rey likes you._

Rey turned to face the droid, expectantly.

"Miss Rey, terribly sorry, please forgive the intrusion. But Master Finn is requesting your audience through the holographic comms link, on the Falcon." C-3PO reported.

_Master Finn? Ah, yes, FN-2187._

"Thank you, 3PO. Be right there." Her eyes flitted to Ben, apologetically.

They rose, walking towards where the droid was standing. The golden unit shuffled back slightly as Ben passed. He eyed the droid and shook his head, following close behind Rey.

Rey and Ben walked into the Falcon, which was empty save for R2 nobly tucked away in a corner to guard the ship.

Everytime Ben walked into the Falcon, memories uncontrollably flooded back into his head. At one time, they would have stirred the boiling conflict in him, but now they comforted him.

He spotted the old, burned hole in the wall from the time he was playing with his dad's spare blaster, now strapped to Rey's thy, and it fired off into the side of the wall. His dad had come bursting in the main quarters, and had scolded the 8 year old Ben. Now, the memory made him smile.

The Dejarik hologram table was another one of his favorites as a child. He could never figure out the game, but he enjoyed watching the characters move across the board and knock each other out. He had spent hours there laughing at the figures, while his father had tried - but failed - to explain the object of the game.

Most of all, Ben loved the cockpit. That's where he had spent the most time, ogling over his father's abilities in the captain's seat. His passion for flying came from these moments with his father. Ben learned everything he knew about being a pilot from Han. He had always swore to himself and anyone that would listen that one day he would be as good a pilot as his father.

Rey approached the holographic comms link in the center of the main quarters. Ben, wanting to give her some space, rested against the opposite wall, arms crossed. She punched the connection to bring up her friend, and a small, blue, holographic FN-2187 in civilian clothes appeared before her.

The way Rey's eyes lit up at seeing his figure warmed Ben's heart and made him smile to himself.

_So this is what she's like with her friends._

"Rey!" Finn's voice was crackly, but clear enough to hear from across the room.

A big, toothy smile grew across Rey's face. "Finn. It's so good to see you. Is everything alright?"

"Does something have to be wrong in order for me to contact you?" Finn said.

She laughed and shook her head, "No, you're right. But you know, stuck in war-mode."

Finn laughed, "Ha! Seriously."

Rey looked at the glowing figure, expectantly.

_Should I leave? This is awkward, why did I follow her in here..._

"Reason I'm contacting you, I-I just wanted to make sure you're OK...that you're safe, and you returned to Ahch-To in one piece." Finn's voice grew serious.

Rey smiled, shrugging, "Here I am. All in one piece." Her smile faded, "I'm sorry I had to leave so suddenly. I promise everything will make sense...eventually."

"So...you're ok? Are you with...him?" Finn hesitated.

Ben tensed. He knew Finn was talking about him. Through his crossed arms, he squeezed his fists together, threatening to break the bones in his hands.

_Yep, shouldn't have come in here. Full of mistakes today, Solo._

"Yes, I'm with _Ben_." Rey emphasized his name, pointedly. Her eyes flashed up to him across the room and she gave him an apologetic smile.

He smiled up at her through lowered eyes.

The crackling blue figure shifted his stance on his feet. Ben could sense that Finn knew he was in the room.

_Good._

"R-right. Ok, well uh, just want to make sure you're ok. If you need me, you know how to find me." Finn paused, then added a little louder. "And we know exactly where to find you."

_Really?_

Rey smiled, shaking her head. "I know, I know. I'm more than ok, really." Her eyes flicked back up to Ben.

Finn continued, "Ok, just wanted to check in."

_More like, just wanted to make sure she was still alive._

"We'll be in touch." Finn continued. "Lot's going on here, but we can talk later about that."

"Ok. Thanks, Finn. Miss you." Rey said, eyes glistening softly as her head cocked slightly to the side.

"We miss you too, Rey." The connection snapped off and the figure was gone.


	23. Chapter 23 - Poe

Finn sat back in his chair around the comms table with a huff. He crossed his arms over his chest, expression neutral - neither happy nor sad.

Finn worked his jaw in concentration and looked up to the group seated around the table. Poe sat next to him, with Rose on his other side. Jannah, Lando, Chewy, and Zorii were all present as well.

Poe was happy - happier than he cared to admit - that Zorii had decided to hang around the base after the war ended. It was a pleasant surprise - she was always on the move, so it was nice to have someone from his past in his life. Especially someone with whom he shared an intimate history.

He wondered, though, when she would get restless. Zorii always did. She would suddenly be ready to pick up and leave again - onto her next bounty or next exciting new adventure.

Poe was first to break the silence after Rey's voice disappeared. "Well, she's ok. That's good news."

Finn sighed, "Yeah, for now. I don't trust him." Finn's eyes moved to Rose across the table.

Poe nodded, "How can anyone trust him?. But, don't you think if he was going to hurt her, or even kill her, he would have done it by now?"

Finn shook his head, eyes flicking back to him, "Not what I'm afraid of."

Poe knew what he meant. Finn was terrified of the possibility of his best friend's pure soul turning dark by the influence of Kylo Ren, becoming the next Empress or Supreme Leader. He practically considered that worse than death.

_Poor guy. No wonder he's been absent these past few days._

Finn shook his head and sat up straight. "Let's get to the point, to why we've called you guys here. 'Specially you, Lando." Finn nodded in his direction.

Lando let out a short laugh, placing his hands on the table. "Ha! O-k. Out with it, then."

Chewy groaned in agreement, the sound echoing off the Ajan Kloss cave walls.

Everyone around them leaned in slightly, eager to know why they were there.

Poe cleared his throat, then spoke up, "I like this planet as much as anyone, but we can't stay here forever. We've won the war. Now, we have to move on, to continue the work."

Poe paused, letting that sink in. He eyed his friends around the table, who were listening intently to his every word.

"Leia fought for freedom and a just-galaxy. No more tyranny by a corrupt and evil government" Poe continued, "But right now, that's not what we have."

A few of the heads around the table started to nod.

"We have a mess." Finn interjected.

Poe nodded, agreeing, "Yes, it is a mess. But it's also an opportunity. The galaxy needs our help. We have to lead them, to rebuild. A new republic, just like...before, like the Hosnian System."

They all silently cringed, remembering the millions of lives who were so cruelly stolen by the First Order's Starkiller base. Poe remembered how Leia had crumbled to the floor as she felt those souls simultaneously end. Poe had thought the pain of it alone may take her life too.

Poe continued, "But I say it again...freedom and opportunity. We need you, but if your life is calling you somewhere else," he shook his head, "then by all means, do it. No one is forcing you to stay here."

Rose spoke, "I go where you go." Then, her eyes flicked to Finn.

Finn smiled back at her, nodding his head once.

Jannah shrugged, leaning her arms on her legs, "Hell, I've got nowhere else to go. Certainly not going back to Kef Bir. There's nothing for me there. I've been searching for belonging ever since I defected. I'm in, all the way."

Chewy roared, to no one's surprise, a definite yes.

There was a movement out of the corner of Poe's eye and a small hissing sound as Zorii took off her helmet. It had been so long since Poe had seen her entire face. She rarely took it off, practically a Mandalorian.

Zorii was striking. Her hair was wavy and cropped angular and short to her shoulders, with dark eyes and eyebrows that framed her face. She was beautiful, a mature and seasoned version of the young, scrappy girl Poe once knew from all those years ago.

Heat always built inside Poe as he remembered the fiery romance they once shared as young teenagers. That same fire still burned dimly, at least for Poe, especially now seeing her face again.

Zorii twirled her helmet in her hands as she sat in silent thought..

Poe looked at her, expectantly. "Zorii, you don't-"

"I'm with you." Her head snapped to meet Poe's eyes.

Poe's stomach dropped, not expecting her response.

_Is that why she's still here? Does she...?_

Poe's lips pulled across his teeth in a giant grin.

She raised a finger in his face, shaking it at him, "But don't you dare expect me to play by stupid rules or get involved in that fancy politician non-sense! No way. Just here to help you guys get back on your feet, then I'm out."

Poe laughed, expecting nothing less from Zorii. Always the spit-fire.

All eyes turned to Lando.

"General Calrissian." Poe said, "You've got more knowledge of the galaxy than any of us around the table, combined."

"Hey, woah now, I'm not _that _old buddy." Lando laughed.

Poe smiled and shifted in his seat, "You've seen almost every planet, you know all the ins and outs, the secrets and the people."

Lando smiled, clearly understanding where this was going. "You need a capital. A new home."

Finn and Poe exhaled and nodded, "We need a capital."

Lando sat back in his seat and sighed, eyeing the table in front of them as he thought. "Well, it would be best if the planet was on a major trade route. To damn difficult to get resources anywhere else in the galaxy, unless you want to rely on the planet 100%, which...don't do, trust me."

He rubbed his chin, frowned, then continued, "It needs to be large enough, but not too large. You have to maintain control, at least in the beginning. And I don't pick a planet that already has an established democracy of their own - you'll just piss the locals off coming in telling them what to do."

Finn huffed, "Damn, so Naboo is out."

"Afraid so, kid." Lando smiled at Finn, "Hmmm..."

Chewy roared a suggestion.

Lando laughed, "Chewy, nice try, but we can't do Kashyyyk. I don't think you wookies would take nicely to us barging in."

Chewy shook his head and grumbled his disappointment.

All eyes turned back to Lando as he continued to ponder, "Corellia? No, too corrupt..hmmmm, Vendaxa? No, can't go back there after that little incident...hmm, Fondor? No, too boring..."

Lando sighed and shrugged, "I think Chandrila's your best bet, kids."

"Knew it,' Finn mumbled.

"There's still a lot of support for the Republic there, so you would be welcomed. Small enough to maintain control and not let things get out of hand. Leia loved that world..." Lando's eye lit up as he remembered the princess, "In any case, it's also on a major trade route and it's right next to Coruscant and the other core worlds."

Poe nodded, "It's as good a place as any. We'll start there."

Lando grinned, nodding. "I have a few connections on Chandrila. Let me get in touch with them, to ensure a smooth arrival." He winked.

Poe nodded, "Thank you, General." He turned his head to the rest around the table. "And thank you all, for everything. Leia would be proud."

They rose and returned back to their duties. Finn and Rose walked off together, his arm slung around her shoulders and her arm snaked tightly around his waist. Poe smiled as he watched his friends leave.

Zorii stayed behind, her helmet still removed and the ends of her dark brown hair brushing against the golden plate of her body suit.

Poe turned to face her, saying nothing. He crossed his arms, shifted his weight to one hip, and raised his eyebrows.

Zorii eyed him, tilting her head back and laughed, "Oh, don't give me that look, Dameron. I've nowhere else to go."

Poe laughed and shook his head, looking down at his boots.

"Plus, if you can't beat 'em join 'em." Zorii stepped closer to him, "You wouldn't stay with me back on Kijimi, so..." She shrugged, "Figure this whole resistance thing must mean a lot to you to give up your old pirating days." She stepped closer and ran a finger down the trim of his jacket, "Guess I'll stay with you, wherever that is."

Her dark eyes sparkled as they looked up at him. Something in Poe's stomach dropped straight to the floor and he was immediately taken back to sweet memories of his past with Zorii. She used to saunter close to him like this, and gaze up into his eyes, straight through to his soul. She was good at whatever it was she did to him.

And he never wanted her to stop.

Poe stepped closer to her, placing a finger under her chin. "I'm glad you're staying." He paused as he enjoyed the view of her face filling his vision. "Can I have that kiss now?"

Zorii grinned and closed the gap between them, crushing Poe to her as she melted her lips against his.


	24. Chapter 24 - Rey

The day's began to pass on Ahch-To like pages in a story book. Finn checked in often, always beginning the conversation by asking if Rey was ok and then proceeding to tell her about the recent happenings of the resistance.

Now, they were no longer the resistance as there was quite literally no enemy to resist, no threat against freedom in the galaxy that needed to be fought for. They were working on rebuilding and bringing peace and order to the galaxy led by democracy and freedom.

Rey learned that her friends had moved on to Chandrila, making the planet their pseudo-capital during this time of rebuild. Upon sharing this news with Ben, she also learned that Chandrila was where Leia had given birth to him, and where he had spent a significant amount of his childhood before the news of Leia's true father became a scandal across the republic.

Rey was hopeful that the new galaxy her friends were creating wouldn't be so close minded. Afterall, she was the granddaughter of the most evil man in the universe.

Rey enjoyed her time talking with Finn. It grounded and comforted her. She knew he was worried about her and she struggled how to convey that she _really was_ ok. Not just ok, but safe and happy. Because of Ben.

She could have been on the fiery shores of Mustafar or the freezing tundra of Hoth, and she would still be happy as long as she was with him. The thought of not being near him didn't seem like an option anymore, just like she couldn't survive with one part of her body on one planet and the rest of her light years away.

Ben and Rey spent their days mostly training, fishing, and trying to decipher the ancient Jedi texts. She was thankful 3-PO was there to help translate the ancient words. The droid was slowly warming up to Ben, quickly learning that he was not a threat to her or anyone on the island.

This made Rey happy. But the challenge was not convincing a droid to trust Ben Solo, but sentient beings with emotions and a consciousness that wasn't programmed.

They talked about the force a lot and shared what they felt were the strengths and weaknesses of both the Jedi and the Sith. They agreed that the Jedi were too rigid and stuck in their ways, banishing emotions and most importantly love, which were a key part of humanity. The Sith were consumed with themselves and self-advancement, rarely thinking of others.

When Rey trained with Ben, they helped each other to view the force as a whole, and not two sides. Rey still struggled with controlling herself when she tapped into the darkside, but Ben was patient and a good teacher with her.

Rey helped him too, teaching him all she had learned from his mother. She loved the way his face lit up when she talked about Leia.

Rey enjoyed the slow pace of their evolving relationship. It had been nearly two weeks since the Battle of Exegol and their first kiss, but Rey found herself still shy in that regard, unsure of how to express her feelings. She felt the boiling heat that built inside of Ben when she looked into his eyes or when she pushed her hair behind her ears or removed the leather band around her waist for the night.

But still, Rey enjoyed their pace and she was an expert at waiting. The past year of her life had been _go-go-go_, but on Ahch-To, she felt like they had all the time in the world, and she basked in the slowness of their life here. They had time to get to know each other, without the veil of being on opposite sides of a war. She loved getting to know the man with whom she shared strange, deep, and intense feelings for.

However, she was, like Ben, growing increasingly restless at the fire that built low inside her gut at the simplest things that Ben would do. The way his large, muscular body moved while they trained, the way his smile lit up his dark brown eyes, and the way his long dark hair moved, all sent shivers through her whole body. His presence was intoxicating, a feeling she had never experienced until knowing him.

Rey's feelings for him were more than that, though. She had listened to tales of "love", especially when Leia would talk about her days with Han. But was that what this was? Rey couldn't help but feel the word "love" wasn't strong enough to convey what she felt for Ben. What she felt for him was deeper, seared into her soul, something that couldn't be expressed by any known language in the galaxy.

She had spent her whole life searching for identity and purpose, and she finally found that in Ben.

Rey felt lucky. The nearly 20 years of loneliness, of waiting for nothing on Jakku were insignificant if this was her reward. She would have waited a thousand more years on that desert wasteland if she knew at the end of her exile she would have a connection like this.

One night, after a full day of training, they returned to the village as the suns were just beginning to set behind the ocean horizon.

They dined outside together, as they usually did, scarfing down a mixture of rations from Ajan Kloss and some left over fish from the previous day's catch.

Rey set her plate on the ground, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. They faced the sunset, which had sunk below the horizon and colored the darkening sky a golden red hue. The air was clear as the night sky came alive above them.

Ben rested his hands on his knees and sighed up at the stars, smiling. Rey looked over at him as she admired the way the side of his cheeks wrinkled upwards as he smiled.

_I will never get used to seeing him smile like that..._

Ben felt her eyes on him and he looked at her through his peripheral. She snapped her head away and stifled a smile.

"Something funny, Rey?" Ben leaned back into the grass, holding his body up with his hands. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her, smiling. A loose strand of black hair fell into his face as he gazed at her.

"Mmmmm." She bit her lip to stifle a grin and looked down, shaking her head. She noticed Ben's hand curl into a tight fist in the grass and his neck moved as he swallowed, hard.

Rey inhaled and sat up, abruptly. "Well, I don't know about you, but I need a bath." Rey motioned down to her body. "There's a cave nearby here with an inlet of freshwater inside." She grabbed her plate and walked back towards the hut. She turned her head over her shoulder, "And don't try to contact me through the force while I'm gone. Be back in a bit!"

Rey didn't wait for him to answer as she laughed to herself and ran off towards the hut.

She popped inside the hut to grab some soap she had brought from the base, a fresh change of clothes, her hair brush, and a towel.

She walked the short distance to the cave, towards the bottom of the island. The night was dark, but her eyes adjusted quickly and the stars helped to light her way. The evening was peaceful and warm.

As she approached the bottom of the island, she could feel the cool sea mist as the water crashed against the sharp rocks. The ocean was rough, a sharp contrast to the still night.

Rey spotted the dark void in the side of the island that indicated the caves entrance. She ignited her lightsaber to guide her way as she stepped into the rocky cave.

Her footsteps echoed off the narrow walls as she entered. A few yards in, she spotted the small pool of water as it reflected the blue of her saber. Rey propped the weapon up between two nearby rocks and grinned up at the light that filled the cave, pleased with her resourcefulness.

Rey unstrapped the leather belt around her waist and removed the white wrappings around her body. She kicked off her boots and slipped off the tunic and pants she wore. She subconsciously covered her bare chest and peered behind her towards the cave opening, nervous someone - or something - may enter while she was totally vulnerable and naked.

Luckily, she could sense everything on the island, so she was not easy to surprise.

The air was still and silent inside the cave. She dipped her toes into the motionless water and watched as tiny waves rippled out from where her foot disurbed the surface. She smiled as she watched the water dance under her touch.

The water was cool, but not freezing. Once both her feet were in the water, she took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, then submerged her entire body into the water. Thousands of tiny needles pricked her skin as the cool water surrounded her. Under the surface, she lifted her hands to her hair and shook out the braid she wore. She turned her head from side to side as her long locks danced across her face and shoulders in slow motion.

Rey's body quickly adjusted to the water's temperature. She popped up for air and ran her hands over her wet face and hair. The water was refreshing and the cave was peaceful, everything lit a beautiful pale blue from her saber. The water stirred gently around her and glittered in the dim light as it caressed the curves of her body.

She grabbed the bar of soap resting on the rock next to her and began to work, rubbing every inch of her body. She cleaned her hair, pulling through the unruly tangles that spun up under the water.

Eventually, when she was clean, she floated in the water and ran her fingertips across the surface. Rey leaned her head back and smiled to herself, enjoying the peace of the moment. The only sounds were the small splashes of water from her hands and the hum of her saber igniting the small space.

Suddenly, she felt something poking at her brain. It started as a small, persistent, whisper but then grew louder and louder. Her eyes flew open and she flung her head upright out of the water. She sat up straight, splashing water around her as she looked around the cave, looking for the source of the disturbance.

She knew immediately it wasn't Ben trying to contact her. This felt different. It was cold, hectic, and _dark_. Something was calling out to her, something close by. It came in whispers and muffled screams, like the time she had been called to the dark place beneath the island.

Fear suddenly struck her like a hot iron. She couldn't identify what it was that was stalking her. She felt incredibly vulnerable in her naked, wet form so she hopped out of the water, feet scraping on the cool stone as she snatched the towel and gathered it around her. Her sopping hair stuck to her neck and shoulders and dripped ribbons of water down her back as she breathed heavily, head swiveling on her shoulders.

She was aware of two things: she was not alone in that cave and whatever it was had ill intent. It was clouded by the darkside and overwhelmed everything around her.

She gripped the towel above her breasts in one hand and she dashed for her saber with the other, lifting it up and flinging it around, looking in every dark corner of the cave.

Rey noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked down at the pool of water, still sloshing violently from her sudden departure. Then, the water somehow, _impossibly_, began to still as if manipulated by some force. There was a deep grumble as the pool stilled to a sudden halt, now a motionless void before her.

Rey stood there gripping the towel covering her and holding her saber out in front. She was gaping at the pool of water, trying to make sense of what was happening.

The voices in her ear grew louder, beckoning her to step closer to the still pool. She obeyed and stepped slowly towards it.

As she approached, she saw the reflection of her face in the still pool. It was now a mirror, like the one she had encountered on this island before and on Kef Bir. Fear gripped her, knowing that this mirror, this _thing_, was trying to shower her something.

She found herself suddenly wishing, _screaming_ in her head for Ben to be there.

She knelt down to the rocky ground, saber still in hand. She saw her face in the pool, full of fear and confusion. Her wet hair hung in long, damp cords around her face.

Rey blinked down at her reflection, expecting something to happen, to materialize before her. Then, just as the voices reached peak volume, they stopped and everything around her went silent. All she heard was her heavy, shaky breath and the ignited saber beside her.

Rey gazed upon her reflection as it suddenly began to morph in the mirror. She began to fade away, like mist, and a figure began to form in her place. It was small, just the shape of something or someone she could not identify, but small and child-like. Rey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the shape took on the form of a youngling, small and innocent. She couldn't make out any features of the figure, or even it's species, but she knew it was a child, no more than 13 years of age.

Rey blinked rapidly at the figure. She was completely frozen, unsure of what to do or how to react. The figure reminded her of the small children during the festival on Pasaana, laughing joyfully at some fable being told by their elders. Happiness and warmth filled her at the memory that this vision gave her, and Rey's face softened as a smile began to slowly emerge.

Then, just as quickly, her happiness was snatched away by darkness that consumed her again. Something was wrong, something terribly wrong. Dark mist began to surround the silhouette of the child before her, and Rey stared down helplessly, eyes and hands flitting about in a hectic frenzy.

"No. No!" She whispered.

_What's happening?_

Rey felt the unbelievable urge to save the child - a being that didn't even exist.

Rey shut her eyes and tried to focus, to come back to reality. _It's not real, it's not real._

Her eyes snapped open and she saw another figure begin to form behind the child, slender and menacing. It was also a silhouette, like the child, but with a dark hood drawn to conceal it's face.

_No...no, no, no...what..._

The figure stalked closer to the unsuspecting youngling, moving like a serpent.

"Stop!" Rey heard herself shout.

Then, like the crack of lightning, a vicious, red saber ignited behind the child and pierced through it's heart. The child's silhouette froze sickeningly as the glowing red blade stuck through it's chest. The child crumbled to the ground as the figure behind it stood victorious.

Rey had never seen a sight so disturbing.

"NOOOO!" Rey shrieked. She frantically thrust her hand forward towards the mirror, dropping the saber.

Her hand was met with sloshing water as she broke through the surface, dissolving the hideous scene into mist. She leaned forward, ready to jump back into the pool after the child, but she suddenly felt a pair of impossibly strong arms snake around her torso and pull her back from the pool.

"Rey, don't! It's not real!" Ben pulled her back from the water, her heels scraping against the rocky ground.

"No, you don't understand, the child! It was trying to show me something - let go!" Rey struggled against him, trying to free herself from his grip. The towel threatened to completely fall from her naked body as she wriggled. Ben squeezed tighter, trying to get a hold of her.

He grabbed her face with one hand and forced her face towards the water, leaning her forward.

"Look, Rey! Look at the water!" Rey's eyes searched the sloshing pool. She blinked rapidly as she slowly came to her senses. She realized the wish she had made earlier had come true. Ben was here, she was safe.

_But the child..._

"Whatever you saw, it's gone, it was just a vision." Ben's chest heaved against her back, clearly out of breath from running to the cave.

Rey shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the horrible image she just witnessed. She surrendered and fell back against Ben behind her. He cradled her head to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring hold. She crumbled between his long legs as he held her there.

Rey squeezed her eyes shut against him, focusing on her breath as she took in the scent of him. He was breathing hard, rocking her back and forth and holding her head to his chest. She couldn't get away from him even if she wanted to. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and the cold began to pierce her wet body as she shivered. Ben rubbed a frantic hand across her naked arm to warm her.

She was completely vulnerable and exposed under the towel, but she didn't care. She was not vulnerable with Ben, she was _safe _and secure. She didn't want to talk or think about what she just saw. All she wanted was to stay there pressed against him, warm and safe, forever.


	25. Chapter 25 - Ben

The last time he held Rey this close, all life had been drained from her slender body. Now, she was very much alive, body shivering from the cold, emotions radiating off her and piercing through the force.

Ben opened his mind, reaching through their bond to feel everything she was going through. Cold, fear, fright, sadness, despair...

He sat on the cold cave floor while she lay curled in between his legs, her head tucked into the crook of his neck. Her soaking hair chilled the skin under his shirt as the water began to seep through. He felt her squeeze her eyes shut as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

Ben held her tighter then, resting his chin on her head, not caring about the dampness. He tried to transfer every bit of warmth he had to her.

He held her there for a few moments, rocking her slightly and saying nothing. He focused on her heart and breath through the force, listened as it slowed as she relaxed. Relief came over him as the force surrounding them stilled.

After a while, he ran his hand over the back of her head, tilting her face up to him until her eyes opened and met his.

"What is it? What did you see?" He stared intently down at her, willing her to open up to him. His days of delving into her mind uninvited were over, dyad or no dyad.

When she didn't respond, he moved his hand to her chin, grasping it gently and holding her eyes on his, "Rey, please." He ran his thumb across her cheek. "I feel it too, share it with me."

She didn't have to go through this alone, but she was so damn stubborn. Ben reached out through the force, caressing her mind, pushing warmth and comfort to her as he took on as much of her pain as he could.

Her glistening eyes relaxed as she took in a deep inhale and slowly exhaled.

"A child." She swallowed, closing her eyes and shaking her head in his hand, "I don't know who, or _what_, but I'm sure of it."

Ben was silent, searching her eyes as he let her continue. He pushed slightly into her head and when she didn't protest, he moved forward, sensing what she had seen.

"And...someone, _something, _killed the youngling." Her brows furrowed, "I was supposed to save the child but I failed."

Ben was gently in her head now and he felt every ounce of horror she had experienced at that moment. It was a terrible scene.

"You failed at nothing." Ben shook his head, keeping his eyes on hers, "It was a vision. The dark side is cryptic, shows you what you're most afraid of."

She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath again, nodding her head, "I know, I know...it just felt so real."

Ben looked up and scanned the cave.

"The dark side tends to manifest and thrive in cold, dark places...like this." He looked back down at her, "And typically, it involves mirrors to form an illusion. The first vision you saw here, when you asked to see your parents...was it nearby?"

Realization crossed Rey's face as she remembered her vision from nearly a year prior, "Y-yes. In a place, just like this." She blinked rapidly.

His brow furrowed as he felt a sense of protectiveness come over him. He pulled her head back to him and squeezed her tighter.

"You're safe now." He took in a deep breath, rubbing her arm again in a feeble attempt to warm her wet skin. "You're freezing. Let's get you dressed and get out of here." Ben stood, keeping his hands on the sides of her arms as he pulled her to her feet.

Rey tucked the towel tighter around the top of her breasts as she stared up at him, "Ben. Thank you. You...came at just the right time...how did you-?"

Ben tapped a finger to his forehead, "Perks of a dyad, Rey. You're not hard to find anymore."

Rey smiled and laughed, winking, "You're still hard to get rid of."

Seeing the smile return to her face filled him with relief.

Ben grinned down at her then looked past her shoulder where her clean clothes lay waiting. She turned, gathering the clean cloth in her hands then turned slowly back to him.

Rey stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, keeping the towel wrapped tightly around her. She shifted her weight and cleared her throat.

Ben's eyes widened and he turned around briskly, crossing his arms and crunching the bones in his hands together.

Once his back was turned, he heard her slip off the towel as she quickly dressed. He listened as she clicked the leather belt around her waist and snapped his mother's saber to her side. She shuffled across the ground as she wedged on her boots.

Rey sighed, then brushed past him as she walked, now fully clothed, "Let's get the hell out of here."

Ben smiled in agreement as he followed quickly behind her, watching the way her hips swayed with every step. She had no idea how beautiful she looked to him, especially with her hair loose and damp like it was.

Her outfit was similar to what he had seen her wear on Kijimi, Kef Bir, and Exegol. Crisp white fabric, regal, tight fitting and flowing.

When they approached the village, Rey suddenly spoke as if remembering something.

"Ah! I can't believe I forgot. I have something for you, something from the resistance base."

Ben looked at her as they walked, curious.

_What could she possibly have for me from the resistance?_

Ben followed her inside Luke's hut where she quickly squatted down to her large bag of belongings from her trip to Ajan Kloss. She dug around the bag frantically as she searched. He stood behind her, waiting patiently.

She suddenly found what she was looking for as she ripped her arm out of the bag. "Ah-ha! Here we are." She held the small object in her fist, Ben still unable to make out what it was.

She rose to her feet and turned, walking towards him. She extended her arm as she passed the object into his hand.

Ben immediately recognized it. He turned the small ring in his hands, mouth gaping slightly. It was his mother's Alderaanian signet ring he had seen her wear for as long as he could remember. It was a beautiful, gold band that twisted in two directions, with two twin midnight blue stones at either end.

Ben gasped slightly at the memories that filled his head from seeing the ring again.

Rey stood in front of him, silently waiting as he absorbed the gift.

"Your mother gave it to me just before I traveled to Exegol." She smiled and shook her head, "I swear, it was as if Leia knew we'd find each other and you would turn...anyways, she would have wanted you to have it."

Ben let out a shaky breath, holding back tears that threatened to boil over.

He smiled down at the ring, "I never saw Mom without this on." He let out a shaky laugh, "It brings back so many memories..." Ben closed his fist gently around the ring and looked down at her, "Thank you, Rey."

He gazed upon Rey's face, lit with a dim, orange glow from the small, flickering fire inside the hut. She said nothing as she gazed back up at him, smiling softly.

He felt a strange pull towards her, like he was a moon trapped in her orbit. Rey inhaled slightly as Ben took a careful step toward her. He lowered his hand, pocketing the precious ring.

Ben let his actions flow freely, doing what felt natural to him. He never took his eyes off her as he took another step towards her. Rey didn't move as her head tilted slightly back to maintain eye contact with him.

A smile began to pull at her lips, luring him in even closer. He slowly raised his hand to her cheek, caressing it softly. Rey closed her eyes then and leaned her head into his hand.

Her skin seemed to radiate electricity under his touch. It made his breath quiver and heart beat quicken.

"Rey..." Ben breathed.

Rey's eyes opened in response. She looked up at him, expectantly. Ben slid his fingers behind her neck as he craned her head upwards. He leaned down, slowly bringing his face closer to hers.

Ben met her lips with his, so soft and tender. It had been too long since he had kissed her, and he was tired of waiting. He couldn't anymore.

Rey seemed to melt under him.

He opened his eyes and pulled back slightly to meet her gaze. Rey's eyes remained closed, her lips parted as she breathed.

But Ben was not ready to let her out of his grasp as he felt himself wanting more. He could sense Rey's desire radiate off of her as well. He kept his hand around her neck and snaked his other arm around her waist, pulled her back to him.

He kissed her soft at first, then harder as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her chest and torso were pressed to him and he could feel her body mold against his.

Ben wanted _more_, and he wanted to explore her further as his carnal desires overcame him. He carefully parted his mouth, running his tongue against her lips. She accepted his invitation as she parted her lips in response.

He crushed her closer to him as he tasted her with a deep kiss, his entire body on fire.

_Finally._

He felt her breath and heart quicken as they explored each other. Ben let out a groan as she delved further in his mouth. He wrapped his arms completely around her waist and lifted her up so her face was level with his. He cracked an eye open and spotted the table in the center of the hut directly behind her.

Rey laughed against his mouth as he lifted her higher and plopped her down on the table. She willingly parted her legs and wrapped them tight around his waist, pulling him closer to her.

He couldn't escape her hold even if he wanted to.

His hands rested just above her bottom as he continued to kiss her, never wanting this moment to end. Their bond was on fire, the force dancing around them in crackling electricity. The sensation of the moment was doubled as he felt her pleasure coupled with his.

He broke away from her mouth and kissed down her bare neck as she bent her head backwards, inviting him to explore her further. Her hands tangled in his hair and she let out a small moan as his tongue worked against the soft skin of her neck. Ben's fingers dug into her back in response to the sound she made and he groaned against her neck.

_Oh, Force..._

He continued to trail her neck with kisses, tasting the sweetness of her skin. He brought a hand to her shoulder, pulling the fabric of her tunic away, exposing the skin of her collarbones.

So many parts of her body that he had always seen but had only dreamed about exploring, and now here he was, relishing in the taste of her.

He continued to kiss her there, enjoying the way her chest heaved in response to him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and C-3PO's voice spoke behind it.

"Miss Rey, sorry to bother, but there is an important-"

Ben tore his face away from Rey, frustration fueling him, and flung his hand outward towards the door. The force flowed through him instantly as he deactivated the droid behind the door, shutting him up.

"Ben! You can't just-"

Rey protested but he turned back to her and crashed his lips back to hers. She groaned and giggled against his mouth, surrendering to him as he lifted her off the table and turned her towards the bed.


	26. Chapter 26 - Rey

Rey didn't know it was possible to want anything as much as she wanted Ben. She was completely consumed by him as he kissed her in ways she didn't know existed, touching her in places only she had touched.

Heat radiated throughout her body, coupled with his, like fire and ice. At last, he was hers to explore, and she his. His dark form stood in front of her, dimly lit by the glow of the fire, his hands and mouth covering her.

Rey was shocked at how natural it felt to touch him and how unafraid she was. Just like the force, she did what felt natural, reaching out and following her basic instincts.

And she followed Ben's lead through their bond, mirroring his movements and caresses.

Ben's hands scraped against the table as he slipped them under her bottom and lifted her up into his arms with one swift movement. She let out a playful yelp of surprise, giggling and smiling against his mouth. He never stopped kissing her as he turned and kicked his feet out beneath him, feeling for the bed.

Rey let out a huff of air as Ben tumbled her down onto the bed. It was small, yes, but enough room for the both of them if they remained close.

_No problem._

Ben followed her, keeping her mouth bound to his in a deep kiss. He maneuvered his long body over her, each of his forearms on either side of her head to support his weight.

Her stomach dropped as she felt him laying over her. This, like everything else he was doing to her, was a new and welcomed experience. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled his hips to meet hers. They groaned simultaneously against each other as he pressed his hips into her. Her nails dug into his shoulders, squeezing him closer to her and his long hair tickled her skin as it framed her face.

She broke from the kiss, coming up for air as she gasped against his neck. The force was alive with heat, pleasure, and warmth as it danced through them in a celebration of love, harmony, and balance.

Ben was breathing heavy too and he returned to kissing down her neck as she closed her eyes and breathed, relishing in the feeling of his soft lips against her, making her skin tingle.

Poor 3-PO was laying outside the hut, shut down for the night. Rey knew he would be OK and would forgive them come morning. Plus, she was secretly thankful Ben had silenced the droid and just as quickly returned his attention to her. She wasn't ready to let this end.

Rey let out a soft laugh and she let her hands tangle through Ben's hair. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Mmmm..." Ben didn't stop as he kept kissing her neck, trailing lower to her chest, "He shouldn't have interrupted." He tugged eagerly at the fabric around her collarbone as he spoke against her skin, "I'm busy."

Rey let out a sigh of defeat and let her head relax against the pillow. Ben reached up with his other hand and ran it through her hair.

Then, Ben's hands moved quickly from her face to her shoulders to her waist. He gripped her waist, squeezing around the wrapping and leather belt she wore, and trailed his hands upwards. Rey gasped as his hands moved over the curves of her breasts. She had never been touched like this before and he left a path of fire everywhere he touched.

Rey squeezed her hands into fists in his hair and grit her teeth.

The blood was rushing away from her limbs and gathering in her core. She felt her hands and feet slowly tingle with numbness as her pleasure mounted.

Ben was still on her neck, so she slid her hands under his shirt and felt the warm skin of his back. She moved her hands further upwards, digging her fingertips gently into his warm flesh, basking in the way he felt beneath her hands.

Ben pulled away from her suddenly and sat up between her legs. She frowned at him for leaving her, his dark hair a tangled mess around his pale face in the dim light. He reached his hands down towards the tail of his shirt and removed it over his head in one swift movement.

Rey's eyes bulged slightly at the mass of a man above her.

_Breathe, Rey. Breathe._

She blinked up at him, forcing her eyes to adjust to the growing darkness, as he tossed his shirt to the floor. Her hands floated up to his tight stomach, as if drawn to him like a magnet. She began to trace over his perfect skin, free of all scars that had previously riddled his body as Kylo Ren. She moved up to his chest, his shoulders, his arms, all thickly wrapped in bands of muscle from years of training.

"You're beautiful..." Rey whispered, barely audible.

Ben looked down at her, his expression only half visible in the light. His eyes sparkled and his mouth and eyebrows quivered slightly. He was a man of few words, but he spoke volumes through the microscopic movements in his face.

A soft smile began to pull at the sides of his mouth and he took her hands gently from his chest, grasping them in his much larger ones. He tilted his head down, keeping his eyes on her as he brought her hands to his mouth, kissing them softly with his full lips.

Rey gripped his hands, using them to tug herself up. He pulled her the rest of the way, and she shifted back so she was seated close in front of him, her legs still dangled over his thighs.

Her hands continued up his bare neck to the sides of his face. Ben tilted his head down and met his forehead to hers.

"Beautiful." He repeated as he chuckled softly against her. "And you..." Ben took her head in both his hands, craning her face to his and capturing her gaze, shaking his head slightly. "You are _everything_, Rey."

His eyes sparkled intensely down at her. She silently moved a hand to the center of his chest, feeling his heartbeat impossibly in sync with her own.

"Rey. You saved me in every possible way that a person can be saved. You are inside every tissue of my being." He ran a thumb over her cheek, "And we are made of the same soul."

She knew he spoke in a metaphor, but she wondered if it was true. Their coming together was like the most beautiful form of poetry, and she couldn't figure out any other way to explain it.

She leaned forward, kissing his chest as she made her way up to his neck. She tasted his skin with her tongue as his chest heaved and his head tilted back slightly in response as she worked.

Rey kissed the cords of muscle around his neck, pausing at the side of his ear and gripping his thick hair in her hand. She spoke slowly and carefully, "Ben. I am yours and you are mine, forever."

It was a promise and a confession - a sweet confirmation of what was already written in the force. Love.

_Damn what the stars say...dyad or no dyad, I am his and he is mine._

She pulled her face away to explore his eyes. They were closed, two tears slowly trailing down his cheeks, his mouth a tight line, quivering slightly. She wiped them away with her thumbs and he opened his glistening eyes to meet hers. He breathed through full, parted lips and smiled down at her, nodding once.

Rey grinned, biting her lip. She placed her hands behind Ben's neck and pulled him back down on top of her. He crashed down onto her with a grunt, kissing her fervently.

They started to move fast now, hasty and impatient. Rey put her hands on his chest and pushed. He broke the kiss, looking surprised at first, then quickly followed her lead as she pushed him over to his side. She flipped her body quickly on top of him until he lay in her place on his back, his hands on her hips as she straddled him.

She kissed him deeply once more, then slowly lifted herself up to sit on top of him. His chest heaved beneath her as her hands traced over his chest then to his stomach. Her heart fluttered as she felt the small strip of hair under his belly button.

Rey's hands eventually landed on her leather utility belt, shaky as she fumbled with the metal locking. The belt unhitched with a click and, with her lightsaber and blaster attached, she tossed it to the floor with a thud.

Ben tugged gently on the end of her white wrappings, unraveling it from her body and letting it float to the floor. She reached behind her, keeping her eyes on him and slowly removed her boots from her feet.

She felt Ben's legs squirm underneath her as he struggled to kick off his boots. They laughed in unison as she lifted her hips up and reached further back, helping him the rest of the way, then throwing the boots to the ground.

He sat up suddenly, snaking an arm fully around her waist and finding her mouth again. She grasped the sides of his face, exploring his mouth with her tongue. Rey was impatient as she pulled away from him, grasping the end of her tunic and ripping it over her head.

Rey could feel her half-wet hair tickle down her bare back. Ben grasped her hips as she tossed her tunic to the ground, a pile of their clothes now forming beneath them. He leaned back, and her stomach twisted nervously as he admired her naked-ness. He groaned slightly, his jaw grinding together, and he dug his hands _hard_ into her hips at the sight of her body. She felt the force expand and contract around them, and felt _him_ in between her legs. It made her shiver with pleasure.

Despite being so vulnerable, and having never shown another being these parts of her, she had never felt more comfortable, more _safe_, than she had at that moment with Ben.

His eyes floated from her breasts to her neck to her face. He grasped her cheek with his hand, tangling his fingertips in her hair.

"_You_ are beautiful, Rey. So..." he shook his head slightly in wonder as he gazed at her "...beautiful."

He kissed her softly, lifting her up and twisting her so she was on her back again, her legs still wrapped tightly around his hips. He kissed her cheek, her neck, and trailed down to her chest, her hands tangling in his beautiful black hair. She shivered and breathed heavily as he caressed her breasts, trailing his tongue over them and down to her stomach, lower, lower...

Eventually, he reached her hips and kissed her there, trailing his finger tips slowly under the band her pants. He tugged slightly, looking up at her through furrowed eyebrows, questioning. She looked down and nodded, bowing her hips upwards into him. He pulled off her bottoms quickly, tugging them down to her ankles and she kicked off the rest.

Now she lay there fully exposed, fully naked before him. She had never felt more alive, all of her nerves tingling with crackling electricity. Their bond had never felt so on fire.

He gaped at her, running his hands up her bare thighs, her hips, back up her stomach. He met her mouth again as she reached down and eagerly tugged at the buttons of his pants. She frowned against him as she struggled to undo the fastening, and he chuckled against her, reaching down to finish the job.

She helped him slide off his pants, over his bare bottom. He fiercely kicked them off with a grunt, throwing them onto the floor to add to their garment mountain. Now, they were both completely naked, limbs tangled together in a beautiful, harmonious web.

Rey shivered slightly, suddenly nervous. Ben slowed, kissing her chest, her neck, caressing her face in his hands. Bravely, she wrapped her legs around his hips again, feeling him against the most private parts of her, but it wasn't enough. She still wanted more, needed more. She _needed_ to feel all of him, needed him to be a physical part of her.

"I need you," she helplessly pleaded in his ear.

Ben pulled back to look her in the eyes, his hair tickling her cheek. She stared up at him, a mess of black hair, pale skin, and glittering eyes from the dying fire in the small hut.

He touched her cheek again, running a thumb over her lower lip.

His voice was low and dark in the small space, "Rey..." she shivered at the way her name escaped his lips, "You know this...but I love you. Unconditionally and uncontrollably...and it will never end, even after the galaxy is no more." He shook his head slightly, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Rey tasted metal in her mouth as adrenaline coursed through her. Her heart danced wildly in her chest, raw happiness flooding through every nerve ending in her body. Then, she felt a hot pressure rise between her hips as he gently pushed himself inside her.

Rey woke to the early morning suns beaming through the small window of the hut. She blinked away the light piercing her eyes, groaning slightly and shifting in the bed.

She was on the very edge of the small mattress, one arm hanging off the side. She moved her body slowly, feeling her stiff muscles come to life beneath her skin.

She was keenly aware of a mass of warmth tucked behind her, and a dull soreness between her legs. She smiled to herself, sighing and clenching her legs together as memories of last night flooded her mind. Her lips were slightly swollen and hips a bit sore, all beautiful reminders of what they had done the previous evening.

_Thank Force it wasn't all a dream..._

Rey felt Ben's arm curl tighter around her bare waist in his sleep, locking her in place while his body molded to her form. His face was nuzzled in her hair and his breath was peaceful and rhythmic as he dreamed. She was completely at home there in the small hut with his entire body engulfed around her.

Ben was a gentle but intense lover. She had always known him to be a fiery, short tempered, and intimidating man, always executing everything with maximum effort and fervor. He was the same when he made love to her, though tender and attentive as he floated over her body.

She harkened back, reliving flashes of the evening in her head. It was the most perfect night of her existence as their bodies had moved together as one, forming a whole like puzzle pieces. The sensations were almost overwhelming, two-fold as their pleasures coupled through the force.

They communicated their needs through their bond, matching pace and rhythm as they shifted and moved. When he had first entered her, she wasn't sure she could feel more _full _and complete. Her nails had dug into his back as he moved over her, his breath quickening against her neck.

She had mirrored his intensity at one point, taking control and forcing him over onto his back. She had interlaced her fingers in his as he helped her move on top of him, her hips meeting his in a perfect rhythm.

Ben suddenly rustled behind her, interrupting her day dream. He tightened his grip on her waist, moving his mouth to her ear, "Your thoughts are disturbing my dreams." His voice was deep and thick with sleep.

She grinned wickedly, turning over under his arm to face him. "Mmmm...terribly sorry." She mumbled, sarcastically.

His eyes were half open, hair disheveled around his face and splayed out on the pillow. His full lips were pouted in a lazy smile.

He pulled her in closer as she turned, planting his lips on her forehead. She tangled her feet in his under the wool blanket they shared. She began to hear the Porgs caw and the Lanai stir about outside as the suns continued to rise.

She sighed, then spoke against his chest, "We should get up. Need to reactivate 3-PO, if he hasn't been picked up by the villagers for scrap."

Ben grunted but didn't move. He pushed his hips against hers and she inhaled sharply when she felt him fully aroused against her stomach.

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth.

_Focus, Rey. You can't stay in bed all day._

"Sure we can," Ben replied, sensing her thoughts through their bond.

She smiled against his chest, moving her face up to his neck to kiss him there. "3-PO said he had something important to tell us. We should see what it is, it might be a message from the others." She moved, pulling away from him.

He locked his arm in place like a brick wall, pulling her back to him. "I haven't had enough of you, yet." His voice was dark and seductive as he spoke.

She laughed as he rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him.

"So, there's a limit?" She teased, framing his face with her hands and toying with strands of his black hair.

He chuckled and his eyes flashed, "I told you last night it will never end." He pulled her face to his, kissing her.

She kissed him deeply and waited until she sensed he was completely distracted with the fog of arousal. Then, she sprang off him and danced away from the bed before he had a chance to snatch her back.

He frowned in her direction and she grinned over her shoulder. His arm was out stretched after her, then it fell to the bed when he realized he'd lost. He buried his face in the pillow and let out a groan of frustration. She began to slip on her clothes they had deposited on the floor and she smirked down at his perfect, bare back.

He huffed and rolled over onto his back. "Fine." He said, then stood briskly, throwing the wool blanket aside.

She peaked up at his naked form as she fastened her belt to her waist. She took in every inch of his body, committing it to memory. She blushed as she eyed him _there, _and tried to suppress her growing arousal in response.

Ben dressed quickly, hopping around the hut as he pulled on his boots, still his old First Order grade ones.

Rey cracked open the door, 3-PO laying just outside the hut, the light from his eyes completely gone. She bent down, reaching behind him to flip his main control switch. A small wave of relief flooded her chest as he came back to life, looking around in mumbled confusion.

"Oh! Dear me, what happened?!"

She helped the droid back to his feet. "Sorry about that 3-PO. Your cerebral unit must have shorted and...we decided to wait until morning to fix it."

She glanced at Ben, who nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, impressed with her little white lie.

"Ah! All the more reason to get back to Chandrila so I can get a fresh tune up."

"Wha-what? Get back to Chandrila?" Rey peered at the droid.

"Yes, Miss Rey. That was what I was coming to tell you last night. Master Finn and Master Dameron have requested your audience on Chandrila. They have an important matter to discuss, but would rather speak in person, I'm afraid."

Rey crossed her arms, inhaling deeply and nodding slowly, shifting back on her heels. She knew this day was coming, where they would eventually have to leave Ahch-To and return back to the rest of the galaxy.

"And they know Ben is still with me, yes?" She looked up at the droid as she squinted through the morning sunlight.

"Well, yes Miss Rey, they mentioned that you might be bringing Master Skywalker along."

"Solo. It's Solo." Ben corrected, curtly.

"Ah, yes sir, my apologies." The droid nodded politely to Ben.

Rey sighed again, then looked to Ben. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, questioning, wondering...

Ben moved then, uncrossing his arms and tossing them to his sides nonchalantly, "Well, Chandrila it is."


	27. Chapter 27 - Ben

Ben turned on his heel and headed back into the hut. He heard Rey's footsteps puttering in the grass close behind him.

"3-PO, get on the Falcon with R2 and prepare to leave." He heard her say over her shoulder to the droid.

Chandrila. Just hearing the planet's name sparked memories from years long past. He was born and raised there, before going to train with Luke, right when the Galactic Empire had officially surrendered to the New Republic. His mother's political career was in full swing and his dad was struggling to adjust to marriage and fatherhood.

He wondered now which ghosts from his pasts he would encounter there.

But most of all, he worried about the welcome reception - or lack thereof - that they would receive from the people there. Who knew he was accompanying Rey? Would they consider him a war criminal? Who would recognize him? Was he just willingly marching towards his own death?

Would they persecute Rey for associating with the former Supreme Leader of the First Order?

She shared his fears. When 3-PO mentioned her friends had requested her audience, Rey's fear instantaneously spiked like a hot iron, making his own fear rise as well.

Ben ducked into the hut, feeling Rey hot on his heels.

"Ben," she caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder. He turned to face her. "Are you sure we're ready for this?"

Her hazel eyes were dark and serious, piercing into him, questioning. He attempted to smile reassuringly.

"Leave the worrying to me. I'm the one they may kill, not you."

She frowned, her eyes molding from solid to liquid fire, clearly unhappy with his attempt at humor.

He sighed and placed a hand on her cheek, "I knew - _we_ knew - this was coming eventually. We can't stay here forever. We have to get back to real life, to the galaxy. I know you don't want to stay here, hiding forever with me." He shook his head, pressing his lips into a hard line. "I won't let you."

Ben could have stayed there forever with Rey, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted. She would never admit it, but he knew how much she loved and cherished her new found friends, especially after spending her entire life in isolation. She longed to see them again, that she could not hide from him. He felt it, like something was missing from her - a void he couldn't fully replace.

Her eyes closed and she reached up to cover his hand with hers, "We have to be smart about this. I'll contact Finn and Poe before we land, to ensure safe passage into Hanna City." Her eyes bore up into his, a promise, "I won't let anyone hurt you."

She had always promised she would help him. She kept her word, all the way back from the moment in the elevator on the Supremacy. Ben believed she'd try, until it was the death of her, which was what worried him most.

He nodded simply, then turned and began to gather up what little belongings they had in the small hut.

They walked up the Falcon's hatch door, with Ben leading the way. When he reached the top of the platform, he stopped short as he felt Rey hesitate behind him. He turned, seeing her facing outside, sighing as she took one last longing look at the planet.

She was a nostalgic woman and had always felt a deep connection to this place. Now, because of the time they had shared here, he guessed her connection to Ahch-To had deepened.

He threw warmth and comfort her way through their bond, bathing her in reassurance.

_I know, my love._ He thought.

She turned away, nodding towards him and slamming the mechanism to close the entry hatch. The Falcon's door hissed behind them as Ben led the way through the familiar halls.

He plopped the large duffle bag in the main living quarters where the droids were waiting obediently. Rey leaned her staff against the bench surrounding the holo-game table.

"You ready?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips.

Her brow furrowed and she stared up at him in that serious way she did.

She nodded. "Ready."

When they reached the cockpit module, Ben paused at the entry, suddenly struck by memories. His eyes danced over the vast array of controls, instantly recalling every switch and button, each holding their own specific purpose.

Rey slipped past him, touching his shoulder reassuringly as she assumed her position in the co-pilot's chair.

Her choice surprised him, expecting the female-alpha to plop herself down in the captain's chair. He looked at the back of her head in surprise as she began to flip the primary controls that brought the ship to life.

She paused and turned, grinning up at him, motioning to the captain's chair.

Ben's eyes flicked from her, to the chair, then back to her again.

"C'mon now, Solo." She winked at him, "We haven't all day for you to stand there gawking."

She turned back to the controls, flicking the mechanisms dexterously. The Falcon groaned and hummed mechanically, responding to her will.

"Fuel pump's primped..." She mumbled to herself, continuing to monitor the controls, double checking her work.

Ben shook his head, smiling as he stepped forward and settled himself in his father's chair. It felt natural, like he was born to sit there. He placed his hands on the steering, watching his fingers wrap around the controls. He squeezed the handles tight, recognizing immediately the distinct feel of the leather and dura-steel under his hands.

_I remember this feeling much larger as a child..._

Ben focused, kicked the thrust and lifted up on the steering.

"Let's go." Ben said, eyes narrowed on the dash of the center control. The shipped whirred and groaned beneath him as he moved the thrust forward to hover the ship over the ground.

Rey, with perfect cadence, flicked the compressor switch, sending the ship higher into the air, dust and rock billowing out from under them.

He pulled the ship higher, kicking them off towards the planet's atmosphere, as the force of the Falcon's supercharged ion thrusters threw them back into their seats.

He had forgotten how fast this ship was, how much it really _moved, _especially for a freighter. Uncle Lando sure knew what the hell he was doing when he first swaggered his way into buying this ship.

_Uncle Lando... _was he there on Chandrila too? Another ghost from his past he was sure to encounter eventually.

Though he couldn't credit Lando fully for the ship's performance. His father had suited the Falcon up over the years and as Han had always taught him, the pilot _completed _the ship.

Once they had exited Ahch-To's atmosphere, Ben began to punch in the coordinates to the core world into the navigational computer.

"Prepare for lightspeed." Ben said, glancing at Rey. She punched the compressor again, and nodded her readiness in his direction.

Ben gripped the handle and pushed the lightspeed switch to forward position. The Falcon shook, and they watched as the stars around them morphed into a thousand strings of bright, blue light that danced past the window.

The stars moved beautifully around them, a spinning vortex of light. Ben relaxed back in his seat, exhaling and crossing his arms over his chest. He smiled softly and looked at Rey, "That felt good."

Rey flashed her beautiful teeth at him, giggling, "I'm sure. Nice job, for not having flown the ship in, what, 10, 15 years?"

He shrugged and looked back out the cockpit's window, "Something like that." He eyed the navigational computer, "We have about...2 hours until we reach Chandrila."

Rey stood and Ben glanced in her direction at her hips, which were now at level with his eyes.

"I'm going to contact the others to let them know we're on our way." She said as she moved towards the door.

Ben suddenly wasn't ready for this moment to end, wasn't ready for her to leave, if even just for a moment.

Ben moved like lightning and snatched her hips just as she turned towards the cockpit's exit. Rey froze, turning towards him and looking down in surprise.

"Ben?" She asked innocently, her doe-eyes beaming hazel down at him.

"Stay," He said in a low voice, looking up at her with pleading eyes. "Just a while longer."

Rey stared down at him, hyperspace dancing behind her as understanding crossed her beautiful features. She parted her full lips and delicately reached a hand towards him, running it through his hair. Ben closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

It was far too dangerous and distracting to be so close to her in such small quarters.

_She does not know the power she has over me._

Ben tugged her down towards him and she let out a small yelp of surprise as he plopped her down onto his lap. He kept his hands wrapped around her small waist, feeling her torso move as she breathed.

He moved his face closer so that his face nearly touched hers. He took in the sweet scent of her, clouding his senses.

"I wasn't done with you this morning." He said, voice deep and dark.

Satisfaction fueled him as he felt her let out a shaky breath in response.

"Ah, is this payback?" She said in that beautiful, delicate accent of hers. She shifted her body and his breath caught in his throat as she threw a leg over to his other side so that she was straddling him. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she teased the tips of hair that brushed his neck.

She shook her head down at him. "Ben, now is neither the time nor the-"

Ben interrupted and pulled her suddenly to him, kissing and tracing his tongue on her neck. Her words caught in her throat as she gasped in response and gripped his hair harder. He relished in the power he had over her to take her breath away like that. He moved his hand to her back, crushing her closer to him.

He pulled back slightly, to mumble against her skin in between kisses. "This may be one of the last times we're completely alone for a long time."

She tutted, "Not completely alone Ben, the droids are-"

Ben reached a hand behind him, slamming the sliding doors to the cockpit shut with the force and locking them in place with a click. Rey let out a breathy laugh of defeat.

Now she had no excuses to resist him.

"I want you." He said breathlessly against her skin.

_Force_, she was intoxicating. She was even more tempting than the dark side had been, and he was completely tethered to her orbit whether he wanted to be or not.

And oh, he wanted to be, _needed_ to be. It should have been alarming how much he needed her.

He was forever cursed by her, now that he had tasted her the way he did last night. The way she moved and writhed in pleasure beneath his touch and the way she desperately breathed his name as he moved through her had absolutely haunted him the way nothing ever had before.

Ben worked his way up her neck to her jaw, pushing all his want and desire through their bond. He felt her strong and stubborn walls slowly break down as he left a trail of fire against her skin. She moaned softly, a pitiful sound of defeat.

He grinned against her and she turned her head down to meet his mouth. He inhaled sharply, gripping her closer to him as she kissed him deeply. She pushed her body against him and he shivered as he felt her mold to him and her tongue flick against his.

Then, unbelievably, she reached between their bodies, trailing her hand down his stomach. She stopped when she reached in between his legs and gripped the length of him through the fabric of his pants and bit his lower lip, tugging gently.

Even after everything they did last night, her boldness still shocked him, all the blood rushing from his limbs to meet her touch.

He groaned loudly against her mouth, standing suddenly and cradling her bottom in his hands as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Rey laughed against him as he took two giant steps towards the closed door. They both grunted as he pressed her back against the metal, locking her between the door and himself so he could explore the front of her.

Ben pulled away, eyes on her chest as he yanked down the fabric of her tunic, perhaps a little too hard as the material ripped loudly, completely exposing her chest.

"Ben!" Rey yelped looking down. She pushed him away slightly and unwound her legs from him to stand before him. She frowned up at him as her bare shoulders moved to hold the ripped cloth in place.

Ben shrugged, "Oops."

The sight of her skin just fueled the fire, and he stepped back to her and craned her neck up, crashing his mouth back to hers.

Rey surrendered again, melting against him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she let him explore her mouth. He felt her bare breasts press against his shirt, the fabric and wrappings around her tumbling to the floor.

Ben felt Rey's desire escalate like wild ivy through their bond, doubling his desire as well. She reached down again to his hips and began to frantically fumble with the buckle to his belt. The buckle gave way to her will, and she disappeared from his sight as she bent down, dragging his pants down his legs.

She popped back up into his vision, smiling as she found his mouth again. Her hands flung to her own hips, shoving her pants down her bare thighs and kicking her legs free. Her leather utility belt was still strapped around her waist and her torn tunic and white wrappings hung in rivers of cloth around the top of her, but he didn't care.

They were both exposed now, and _at last _he had access to the sweetest part of her. Ben kept his eyes on hers as he bent down and hoisted her back up into his arms and propping her against the door. She gripped the muscles around his shoulders, holding herself up as she tied her legs around his hips.

Rey's breath hitched and her hazel eyes burned flecks of gold into his as her need pounded against his temples.

He reached a hand down to guide himself inside her. He studied her face, reflecting the blue and white flashes of light as they soared through hyperspace. As he pushed his hips into her, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the door, sighing seemingly in both relief and pleasure.

Ben groaned loudly in response. He slammed his hand against the door next to her head, the other supporting her bottom, as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

She was unbelievably hot as he moved through her with ease. Rey fit him perfectly, two becoming one in the most beautiful and intimate way possible. His arm began to ache as it supported her, so he called on the force to help hold her weight.

Ben was more rough, almost desperate, compared to how he had been last night, though careful not to hurt her. He began breathing hard against her as his hair fell into his eyes and sweat began to build behind his neck. He could feel everything she experienced, and she him, adding to their pleasure and seamlessly binding their communication of their needs. Rey struggled to keep her breathing quiet as he worked, her breath hitching in her throat everytime he moved.

They continued like that for a while, their passion echoing shock waves through the force and threatening to completely implode the entire ship. Rey must have sensed him tire, because she deftly slid off him, and pushed him back down into the seat as she crawled back onto his lap.

Ben slipped from the cockpit and closed the sliding doors quickly behind him. He inhaled a deep breath, closing his eyes, then exhaled as he gathered himself. He opened his eyes and walked down the Falcon's hall, fastening his belt back around his hips.

He just finished clicking his belt into place as he turned the corner into the main quarters and was met with 3-PO and R2 waiting diligently. Ben stopped short, cleared his throat and smoothed his black hair back with his hands, which was surely a disheveled mess.

Chagrin was rarely an emotion he ever experienced, but he felt it then.

Ben nodded once quickly in their direction and made his way towards the large duffle bag Rey had hauled from Ajan Kloss.

The gold droid shuffled forward to Ben, "Master Solo, is everything alright? We heard a scuffle in the-"

"All good." Ben said curtly, squatting down to the bag and digging around vigorously.

R2-D2 beeped a knowing noise and Ben clenched his jaw.

Ben finally landed on the object he was searching for, which seemly took far longer than it should have with the audience in the room. He snatched out a white piece of fabric from the bag, a spare tunic of Rey's to replace the one he had ruined.

He heard 3-PO scurry after him as he rose and turned back to the cockpit, "Uh, Master-!"

Ben called over his shoulder, "Stay here, 3-PO. We'll be landing soon..."

His stomach twisted into knots at the sudden realization and he wished he could go back to just a few minutes prior, his entire mind and being engulfed in Rey.

Ben lumbered back into the cockpit and was met with Rey struggling to hold up the pieces of torn fabric around her chest. He handed her the new tunic, ruefully, and her eyes narrowed into slits as she playfully glared at him.

He smirked a reply, then sat back down in the captain's chair while she dressed behind him. He leaned forward to check the navigation computer - only one hour more of lightspeed travel and they would be arriving at his homeworld.

"We'll be there soon," He said to her, frowning at the controls.

_And I'll be dead soon..._ he thought silently to himself. The knots in his stomach churned more intensely.

"Ok. I'll be back, going to let the others know." Rey touched his shoulder knowingly then exited the cockpit.

The final hour of space travel drug by, taunting him and leaving him to brood with his nerves. Rey cleared passage with Finn and Poe - they would be landing in an inconspicuous area, free from the eyes of the city.

When they approached their coordinates, Ben pulled the Falcon out of lightspeed. The ship jumped and shook, and the flashing blue and white lights of hyperspace were replaced with a single, giant, blue and green marble.

Chandrila. Ben inhaled shakily as he immediately recognized the contours of the world from childhood.

He wondered how many people here would know his face. Who had a target on his back? Hell, who didn't have a target on his back. Literally everyone in the galaxy would likely love to watch him die, aside from Rey.

He couldn't blame them, though. He had done terrible things, things he shuddered to think about now. How could anyone forgive him, how could he ever explain himself to the entire galaxy?

The memory of his mother's visit to him on Ahch-To seeped into his mind, her words echoing in his head.

"_...solely bearing the weight of everything that has happened...influenced from birth, manipulated and used...let it go, Ben...let it all go...Rey is your destiny."_

The memory comforted him, and he replayed her last words to him that day.

"_I'm with you. Always."_

He called on the force for strength, taming his nerves. When he opened himself up, he was met with Rey's warmth and comfort through their bond, pushing her reassurance and light to him.

Ben felt her reach over silently and rest her hand on his, an attempt to loosen his grip around the controls which he gripped so tight they threatened to snap.

"Ben. I'm with you." She whispered, unknowingly echoing his mother's words. "I won't let anything happen to you. As long as you're with me, you're safe."

Ben worked his jaw and nodded, eyes flicking over to her then back to the marbled planet. He pushed the ship forward towards the glowing blue atmosphere.

The Falcon pierced through the clouds, the royal structures of Hanna City bursting into view.

The planet and city were beautiful. The capital was tucked into grassy, rolling hills that led to a calm, blue ocean. The architecture was unique to the planet, metropolitan and strong like Corescant but soft and romantic like Naboo.

The city looked the same as it had from his childhood, only a few new buildings cropped up that Ben didn't recognize. Ben smiled softly as he recognized the tall living complex he had nearly crashed into when flight training with his father.

Rey interrupted his daydreaming when he heard her softly whisper, "Beautiful. I've never seen a planet like this. Such unique buildings..."

He looked over at her, admiring the innocent look in her eyes as she gazed upon the city and the vast, green hills.

She shook her head, coming out of her daze. "There," She said, intently pointing to the main steeple in the middle of the city. "They said there's a landing platform behind that building that is empty and a little more hidden than the others."

Ben nodded, "I know it."

He steered the ship, knowing exactly what Rey was talking about. His mother had used this hidden platform multiple times during dangerous diplomatic missions where she was forced to lay low, especially after the scandal of her lineage exposed itself to the galaxy.

The landing platform was empty and was connected to the back of the main building. It was tucked away behind the main capitol building, near the living quarters and apartments of the senators and diplomats of years past. Now, the city was much less lively as it had once been, many people moved and displaced from the war.

Ben defly steered the Falcon to the platform, settling the ship on the tan concrete with ease. It was almost eerie how empty this area was, not a soul in sight.

They flipped off the switches, powering down the ship. Rey took a deep breath and turned to him.

"Ready?" She asked.

Her hazel eyes pierced his gaze intently and he felt her continue to push her comfort and strength through their bond. He nodded, allowing her to lead the way out of the cockpit module.

She grabbed her staff from the living quarters as he swung the large duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Oh, R2, we've really come full circle! Back on Chandrila again..." 3-PO shuffled about, R2 whirring in agreement.

Rey turned to Ben, her knuckles whitening around her staff.

"Remember, let me do most of the talking, at least at first. They trust me and they have no reason to fear you..." She paused, hesitating. "I mean, _now _they...don't have a...reason to fear you any-"

"Let's just get this over with," He interrupted, walking towards the hatch door.

He slammed the mechanism and the door opened with a hiss. Rey stood at his side as the piercing sun and soothing heat flooded their senses.

The air was crisp and smelled of grass and ocean. The scent hit Ben like a force push, piercing the deepest hidden places of his memories.

They walked side by side, out onto the tan concrete of the landing platform, squinting as the sun beat into their eyes.

Rey looked around, her signature buns turning about as she searched.

Ben found himself searching the tall walls surrounding them, silently scanning for snipers.

_Ridiculous...no one knows I'm here except Finn and Poe._

He shook his head and looked forward again, towards the gaping entry bay attached to the back of the building.

Suddenly, he spotted movement coming towards them. Two figures, walking briskly in their direction.

Rey spotted them too, her heart and breath catching in her chest as she recognized the two men walking towards them. He sensed her wanting to bolt towards them, but also her desire to stay close to him. She was torn, tethered between the two men in front of them and him. The conflict within her stoked his own emotions in a way he had never felt before.

The men slowed as they grew closer. Ben could see the features of their faces now, and recognition flooded him. Poe Dameron, the resistance pilot he had once tortured and the other, Finn, the ex-stormtrooper he had practically killed in a snowy forest on Starkiller base.

Their expressions were blank and serious as they drew closer. Rey shuffled her weight between her hips, clearly impatient and nervous. He noticed Poe's hand move slowly to rest on the blaster at his hip, a warning. They stopped when they were just a few yards in front of them - close enough, but far enough away.

_I have a bad feeling about this._


	28. Chapter 28 - Finn

Finn had sat in front of the tracking computer all morning, monitoring Rey's location as the little red dot blinked across the navigational chart. He was nervous, his emotions on fire as he ran through scenarios in his head from worst case to best case.

When the Falcon finally reached the Chandrila air space, Finn had nearly tossed his chair across the room when he scooted out of it. Poe followed briskly behind, who had used his pirating skills to disable all other navigational computers in Hanna City from detecting the Falcon's entry.

He hated keeping her arrival a secret, but it was for her own safety. The man who accompanied her, on the other hand, could burn in hell for all he cared. But, he meant something to Rey so that meant he had to keep him safe too, for her sake.

The air was warm and dry as they stepped out of the hanger, the sun beaming down on them pleasantly and reflecting off the tan concrete of the landing platform. The city was quiet, especially in this hidden area, the only sound from their footsteps which echoed off the tall walls surrounding them.

Finn took a deep breath as he walked through the Chandrila air, eyes straight ahead and blinking rapidly to adjust to the sunlight. Poe walked silently by his side as they emerged together out of the hanger bay and onto the landing platform.

First, he spotted the Falcon and his stomach dropped, both from nerves and excitement. It was a confirmation that she was really here, and safe, but also that _he _was here too.

_How in the world has it come to this? We're about to accept the former Supreme Leader into our new capital..._

Then, he spotted the two figures as they emerged from the Falcon. His eyes immediately gravitated to the taller form, eyes narrowing on him. They stopped just outside the Falcon and Rey looked about as she searched the hanger bay. Her head stopped swiveling as she landed on him and Poe, advancing closer.

As they approached, Finn was now able to make out the details of their features.

She stood with her staff, as she usually did, in her royal white tunic and wrappings, just as she had the last time he saw her. Her hair was fastened back into her usual three, closely worn buns and her lightsaber and blaster were hooked tightly on the leather belt around her waist.

Then he took in the shape of the tall, dark man standing next to her. Finn ground his teeth together and tasted the adrenaline that coursed through him as his eyes narrowed on Kylo Ren.

He certainly appeared no different than Kylo Ren, but somehow he _did _look like a different man.

_How is that possible?_

He stood tall over Rey, dressed from head to toe in his usual dark colors. But his outfit was new, unique to anything Finn had seen him wear before. He wore a loose fitting, dark grey tunic with a v-neck that exposed more of his pale skin than Finn had ever seen.

_Huh - so he's not all machine._

He wore black pants, and black leather boots, clearly recognizable to Finn as his First Order pair. His flowing, dark black hair was the same, pushed back from his face and worn in long waves that barely grazed his broad shoulders.

His sharp, striking face was stoic, serious, and brooding, as it always had been, yet was glowing with a softness Finn had never seen Kylo Ren wear.

He looked..._human_.

Finn's eyes caught a reflection of light on Ren's hip - a lightsaber. As they drew closer, Finn recognized it as Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. The same one this man had nearly killed him with a year prior.

The contrast of the pair standing next to each other churned a strange conflict in Finn's core. Rey was peace, light, and happiness, while Ren was...no longer Kylo Ren, but just a man, wearing the shell of the Supreme Leader he once loathed and feared.

Still, Finn couldn't help the rising anger and resentment for the man that boiled in his veins.

Finn and Poe stopped just a few yards in front of them, close enough to reach out touch their skin if they took one giant step closer. He had the unbelievable urge to grab Rey and spin her around in a hug, but he couldn't escape the tinge of fear and uneasiness he felt radiating from the man next to her.

Not only that, but he had been _conditioned _to fear this man. His stormtrooper "training" had been more like torture and mind control, forcing him into obendiency and submissiveness.

They were awkwardly silent for a few moments. Finn inhaled sharply, and sighed as he let out a huff of air. His eyes flitted between the two of them and the corner of his vision caught a cautious Poe slowly moving a hand to his blaster. Ren carried a large duffle bag and Finn realized that it was the bag Rey had stuffed full before she left Ajan Kloss.

Rey was first to move. She looked at Ren, then stepped forward.

"Finn," she managed a smile, breaking the silence. She stepped towards him, slinging her staff across her back. She threw her arms around him and he pulled her to him, never taking his eyes off the man looming behind her.

He noticed Ren's jaw clench and weight shift uneasily as he watched them embrace.

"Hey, Rey." Finn whispered in her ear as they hugged. He pulled her away, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he examined her.

"You ok?" He asked.

Rey nodded, grinning her beaming smile at him.

_Oh how I've missed that smile._

She turned to Poe and her smile faded as her eyes sunk to the hand on his blaster.

Poe didn't look at her as he greeted her, "Hey there, Rey."

His voice shook with intensity and his jaw clenched as he ground his teeth together.

She took a careful step towards Poe and placed her hand on his, covering the blaster.

"Poe. There's no need for that." Her voice was calm and smooth like silk, nearly a whisper.

Poe's jaw clenched harder, then he relaxed and sighed. He cocked his head and smacked his lips, taking his hand of his blaster and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can't be too careful, Rey. You know that." His eyes flicked to her briefly, then immediately back to Ren.

Rey's expression looked oddly sad and defeated as she nodded and backed up to return to Kylo Ren's side.

Finn hated seeing her so close to him. He knew it would be difficult to see him again, especially after everything that had happened, but this was boiling his nerves hotter than he expected. The last time he had seen Rey with this man, they were trying to kill each other. It just didn't make sense.

But somehow, unbelievably, Finn could sense the sizzling connection that burned between them. They had been like fire and ice, but now they moved in tandem as if they were tethered together by an invisible string.

As Rey retreated to his side, Ren's large body shifted slightly, angling towards her. Rey's eyes met his and his lips curled into a soft, reassuring smile down at her.

_Wait. He smiled? He knows how to smile?_

Poe spoke next, raising his voice as he spoke with authority, "The people here are _good_, peaceful people." He said, slowly. "We're all just trying to recover after the war, which _you _lost, by the way."

Rey flinched. Ren remained frozen at her side, only his hair dancing in black locks around his face from the gentle wind.

"So you do what _we _say, when we say it." Poe continued.

Finn took a step forward, his voice low. He pierced his eyes into Ren's dark ones as he spoke slowly and precisely. "The only reason you're alive right now is because of what you did for Rey."

"I know." Ren replied simply. He frowned slightly, but his eyes were inexplicably soft.

"And this is for Leia." Poe added. "We haven't forgotten that you're still her son, no matter how much of a monster you were."

Finn noticed Ren's large hand whitened around the duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

Ren's eyes flicked to Poe, "I know." He repeated. "I don't expect you to forget or to forgive what I've done."

Finn shifted his weight, adrenaline and heat ringing in his temples.

"Yep, and one more thing." Finn said as he suddenly lunged forward, letting all the anger inside him explode like a seismic charge.

Ren's eyes flung straight back to Finn just as he landed a sickening punch straight to the man's jaw.

Finn stepped back, breathing hard and shaking out his throbbing hand.

Ren dropped the bag, stumbling back slightly and grunting loudly. Rey rushed forward then, jumping between them.

"Finn! What are you doing?!" She squealed and planted her hands on Finn's shoulders, pushing him backwards.

Finn's eyes burned on Kylo Ren as he only saw red. Satisfaction boiled in him as he watched Ren hunch over and spit blood onto the ground. He stood slowly, rubbing his jaw and moving his eyes to Finn.

"Good hit, traitor." Ren teased, wiping blood from his chin as he nodded approvingly in his direction.

Finn lunged forward again, but Poe was quicker and he seized his arms from behind, pulling him back.

"Finn, buddy, cut it out! Cool it!"

Rey stepped back towards Ren, shaking her head. She placed a hand on her companion's arm and inspected his face. Finn watched as Ren shifted his eyes to meet Rey's, nodding reassuringly.

Then, he placed his large arm in front of Rey and pushed her back to stand in front of her, protectively.

Finn reared, shaking Poe off. He pointed a finger at him and yelled, "You hurt her and I swear you will pay!"

"Finn!" Rey shrieked again, eyes wide and head tilting in disbelief as she peaked behind Ren's broad shoulders.

Ren's mouth dripped blood and he put his hands out to the side, as if patting the air to calm the mood.

"I am not going to hurt her. I wouldn't dream of it. You have my word." He spoke slowly and intently.

"Oh, your word is shit, pal." Finn replied, pacing in front of him, huffing and shaking his head.

Ren sighed and let his arms fall back to his sides, defeated and rolling his eyes.

_Who the hell is this man? Kylo Ren would have crushed my throat with the force by now._

Ren continued to speak, his eyes moving between Finn and Poe. "I know you can't forgive me, and likely never will. Hell, I don't think I will ever forgive myself." He paused, working his jaw. "But you called on us for a reason. You need help." He said, knowingly as he nodded his head. "The galaxy is a mess, and that's why you called us here, isn't it-"

"Don't speak for what we need!" Finn stepped forward, pointing a finger in his face.

Ren remained calm as his dark eyes pierced down into Finn's.

"You need _our _help. Let us help you rebuild...let me correct the mistakes of my past."

Finn let out a breathy, sarcastic laugh. "You'll need millennia for that."

Ren shrugged, "So be it." His eyes grew serious again, "But please...don't forget I'm here because Rey _wants _me here. Without her, I'd be dead and so would she. But if she wished me away at any moment.." His throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed hard, "I'd leave."

Finn was silent and breathing hard as he stared at Kylo Ren. He tried to find deception in his eyes, but was only met with purpose and truth.

_And light._

Ren continued, "Rey is your friend." He nodded between him and Poe. "If you trust her and she trusts me...then maybe...someday you can learn to trust me too."

Finn stepped closer to Ren so his face was only inches from his.

"We'll see." He replied darkly, narrowing his eyes. Finn turned on his heel and headed back towards the capitol.


	29. Chapter 29 - Rey

Rey's staff blurred above her head like a hurricane as she spun. Her vision was narrowed as she trained, laser focused on the invisible enemy in front of her. She finished her spin by striking downwards toward the ground with all her might, her body shaking from the momentum.

"Uhhhhhhhhaaaa!"

Rey's exertions were louder than normal as her yells bounced off the pavement of the open balcony. She had been spending most of her time here - an empty, open terrace above the west wing of the capitol - since they first arrived on Chandrila. It was a free and peaceful place to train and clear her mind.

Afterall, keeping her body in constant movement was the only thing that kept her mind off of the reality of her current situation. _Their _current situation.

Her muscles ached from yesterday's training, but she worked herself harder today, harnessing the pain to give her focus.

Yet, as she trained, she still couldn't escape her own thoughts of the stupid mistake she had made of bringing Ben here to Chandrila. She knew it was too soon after the war to return to a galaxy that wasn't ready to accept Ben Solo, but she had been so eager to see her friends that she had been blinded by the inevitable.

Rey twisted, her staff growing hot in her hands as she moved. Sweat was pouring down her face and stinging her eyes. Tears began to wet her cheeks, boiling her frustration, and she yelped and struck the air again.

She was distracted. She turned too quickly, lost her footing, and stumbled to the ground, scraping her bare knees and elbows on the hot pavement.

Rey landed with a huff, tossing her staff to the side in exasperation. She let it roll away from her as she laid there, defeated, letting the warm Chandrila sun bake her and silently wishing it would set her afire.

She closed her eyes, the tears streaming down her face as her breath came in full sobs. She let out a loud wail and pounded her fists against the concrete.

_Three weeks._

It had been three weeks since they first arrived on Chandrila. And it had been three weeks since Ben was snatched away and arrested shortly after they arrived.

Though she was surrounded by friends, she felt utterly alone and had been alone for three weeks.

Finn and Poe assured her they had not told a soul about his arrival and had taken every necessary precaution to keep it a secret. She believed them. It wasn't at their advantage for Ben to be arrested by the authorities here.

But she had underestimated the small government in Hanna City. Though hardly existent after the war, they were still present and understandably wary of any First Order sympathizers who remained. Somehow, word had gotten out, and here was the former Supreme Leader of the First Order in their city, handed to them on a silver platter.

She cringed every time as she remembered how the enforcers had crashed into their room, stealing him away from her as she stood wide eyed and confused.

Ben didn't struggle. His eyes looked knowingly at hers, his expression blank and hauntingly calm as they dragged him away. Rey stood watching, mouth gaping and helpless. She knew he could crush them with a twitch of his hand if he wanted to, but he didn't.

And now, as he sat beneath the city in his dura-glass cell, he could break out of that prison if he wanted, but he didn't.

_Didn't they see that?!_

Rey had pleaded with him, _begged_ him to break out, escape and leave Chandrila. They would find each other again, as they always had. He refused, saying he was not going to run away from what he had done and he deserved to atone for the darkness he had spread.

Rey had been so _angry_ at him as he fell on his sword, insisting to stay and wait for trial - _or worse._ She had screamed at him, her voice ricocheting through their connection, questioning what all of this had been for if he was just going to let himself be executed in the end.

And leave her alone. Again. She might as well have gone back to Jakku to live out the rest of her days.

The bond between them kept her only partly sane. Not being physically near him was draining, as if Palpatine was sucking out their life force again. She hadn't been herself these past few weeks, hardly eating and incredibly irritable. She felt her skin pale and her eyes sink in with dark circles as the days passed.

As she lay defeated on the hot ground, she suddenly sensed soft footsteps approaching from inside the capitol. Rey didn't bother to look over and waited until the shadow of a figure standing over her blocked the red sun from behind her lids. She cracked her wet eyes open, squinting.

_Rose_.

Her presence was soothing. The girl sank down next to her, touching Rey's shoulder. Rey sat up abruptly, suddenly embarrassed with herself and wiping her face with the back of her arm.

"Rose, hey. What are you doing here? Hope you didn't see-"

"I didn't see, only heard." She smiled softly, looking over at Rey's staff which had rolled clear across the balcony. "Pretty sure the rest of the city heard too."

Rey frowned, shaking her head, "Ah, I'm sorry. I'm being so selfish-"

"Selfish? You're being human." Rose settled herself down next to Rey, taking her hand.

Rey was shocked. Rose was always a close acquaintance, a friend even, but they hadn't ever been _this_ close. Now that she thought about it, she had never been close to any other woman before. All her close relationships had been man or wookie - or droid.

As if reading her mind, Rose continued, squeezing her hand, "Woman to woman. The boys aren't here now. Talk to me."

Rey looked at Rose, her lips parting slightly as she felt a sense of warmth and welcoming. She felt suddenly drawn to talk about how she was feeling, to open up to Rose.

Rey felt her lips tremble and the tears began to overflow again, "I'm not ok, Rose. I'm not." She shook her head and took a deep breath, "I should have never come here. I should have never brought him back, not this early. I was so stupid. It's my fault he's down there..."

Rose was silent as she let her finish. Her words drifted off with her sobs.

Rey had never talked to Rose about her connection to Ben and had hardly spoken to Finn about it. So how could she possibly understand what she was talking about?

Rey quickly realized that she had underestimated the innate ability of a woman to see through another woman's desires like glass.

"You love him." Rose replied. It wasn't a question.

Rey's mouth gapped slightly and her voice shook terribly as she replied, "So...so much." She nodded.

Rey expected an onslaught of questions from the girl, but they didn't come.

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen when you got here." Rose shook her head and her eyes burned intensely, "You made the best choice you could have made at the time given the situation you were in."

Rey could see why Finn adored this girl so much. She was kind, tender, and smart, yet strong and you certainly didn't want to cross her. She could hold her own and could fix anything better than any man could.

Rey was silent, only her soft sobbing filling the void between them. She was struck by how wise the young girl was.

"Force, why won't he just break out of there and leave this place." Rey blurted.

Rose shrugged, "Maybe because he wants a normal life. Maybe he's remorseful now. He's like Leia, in that way."

Rey bit her lip and nodded. The pain that seared her heart was like a hot knife dug deeper each time she thought about Ben alone in that cell.

Rose sighed and continued, "Rey. You really do love him."

Rey nodded, though it was more than that. She had always felt 'love' was too simple a word to describe what she and Ben shared, but it would do. After all, they were the only known dyad in the entire galaxy. It was a bond that ran far deeper than love.

Rey sighed, wiping the tears away and suddenly feeling foolish.

Rose leaned in, embracing her in a warm hug. Rey's eyes closed tightly as she buried her face against her shoulder. She hadn't realized how much she needed this, needed to speak to another woman and to not have them question why the hell she was in love with Kylo Ren.

They pulled away, Rey smiling at her new dear friend.

"Tell me something good. Tell me about you and Finn, about what you're working on right now. Anything. What can I do to help you?"

Rose sat back and smiled, "Finn's great. Things are..." she laughed to herself and shook her head looking down, "...amazing." She sighed, blinking rapidly as if to clear a memory and continued, "But, uh, yes I'm staying busy. Currently working on restoring power to the rest of the city."

Hanna City was powered by a central oscillator that had been damaged by the First Order during the war. Only half the city currently had power, which was sufficient in the short term, but if they had any plans of making this a serious capital, they had to restore power to the rest of the city.

Rey smiled and cocked her head to the side, "That's a dangerous job, but knowing you, you're the one to do it. You got people helping you with that?"

Rose grinned, nodding, "Yeah. The mechanics here have been very helpful. It's been so interesting, getting to work on something so huge! I mean, yeah I know it's what you'd call 'dirty work' and a little bit dangerous, but I love it. And once we're done, it will have a huge payoff."

Rose's excitement about her work made Rey happy and took her mind off her own worries, if even for a moment.

"That's great, Rose. I'm happy for you." Rey replied, sincerely.

Rey began to stand, grunting slightly as she felt the ache in her muscles. She turned and walked towards her staff, snatching it up off the ground and slinging it back around her shoulder.

_Time to stop moping around,_ she thought.

She turned back to her friend, "Thank you, Rose. Really. For...listening, and for everything. You have no idea..."

Rose took a step closer to Rey, looking up at her with her big, warm eyes, "I'm always here for you. Anytime."

The girl grinned and turned, heading back towards the capitol. "And you know where to find me!" She called to Rey before disappearing back into the towering steeple to return to her work.


	30. Chapter 30 - Ben

Ben's head rang with a hot fury that pierced through their connection like an arrow. He gritted his teeth and flexed his fists, which stung painfully from an invisible force that slammed against them. An unbelievable pain stung in his chest, making his eyes water and his throat close.

He knew immediately what this was. He understood their connection so well now that he knew when the pain he felt was Rey's. She was in pain now, but he couldn't know exactly why unless he pushed himself further into her head.

Ben reached out through their bond, slowly, as a question. Was she ok? What was ailing her? Likely she was training too hard and the pain was self inflicted, but he had to know.

He pushed forward and he felt the heat from the Chandrila sun bake her chest, the feeling mirrored in him. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as he was surrounded with her familiar presence, though feral and angry in her current state.

Rey was on the empty balcony terrace again, "training" as she would call it, but to him it was more like swinging her staff around at full force like a furious reek rhino, not caring what or who was in her way.

This had happened frequently during his past few weeks here, locked in his small, dura-glass cell. As far as prison's go, it wasn't half bad. He had certainly seen worse than this.

He was held in a cell completely his own, with a small cot that hardly fit his large form - typical - and a sufficient personal washing station. The Chandrila guards fed him two meals a day, small and measly, but food none-the-less to keep him alive.

Ben was thrown in here immediately after he was arrested. He didn't struggle when they came to take him. It took three guards to practically drag him below the capitol. He still had scrapes on his boots from the journey.

His hair had grown longer, brushing his shoulders now. His facial hair had grown into a short stubble that cast a dark shadow across his face, contouring the angles of his sharp features.

Ben's only comfort was Rey, though not physically with him. She was his light and they were so well tuned into their bond now that it was effortless.

However, his meetings with Rey tended to bring on more concern than comfort. He saw what their separation was doing to her, physically. She was wilting, like a flower, inside and out. He could _feel_ the life draining from her.

A deep, sick part of him was still surprised that someone cared for him the way Rey did, so much so that it was affecting her physically. Ben wasn't sure he would ever fully understand.

And then there was the taunting fact that he could so easily escape this place - escape Chandrila all together. It was almost worse than not being able to - he was choosing to remain here, tethering himself to the burning stake.

He would face justice for what he had done. How could he not? He couldn't live with himself, forever running from his past as a fugitive. Always hunted, always sought after.

No. He was done giving nothing but darkness and injustice to the galaxy. For once in his life, he would do things right. Even if it got him killed.

Rey had been furious with his choice. Her anger reminded him of their first force connections - she was white hot and angry, like a snake striking with vicious precision.

He didn't blame her. He would be saying the same things to her if she were in his place. He shuddered at the thought of her being locked up, alone once again. Which was what made staying here all the more conflicting. Once again, his thoughts were torn. He turned to the force, frequently, for peace and guidance.

There was another small, unexpected piece of company in his cell. A tiny, green, seedling of a musk-rose, inexplicably growing through a tiny crack in the dura-crete wall.

_How in the hell could anything grow down here, without any light?_

Ben watched, almost protectively, as the seedling slowly grew each day, breaking through the crack in the dura-crete wall as if it were soil. He used to pick them for his mother as a child. He could still see the way Leia's face lit up with excitement over the small token of love from son to mother.

Suddenly, Ben sensed another presence near Rey on the terrace. He pushed forward, curious. It was a girl. Rose, the small mechanic who seemed to have taken a liking to Finn. He didn't know the girl, but he admired her. He remembered hearing about Rose breaking into the Supremacy to disable the light speed tracker, which not many knew how to do. Though on the opposite sides of the war, he had admired her skill and bravery.

Ben broke off the connection, and retreated back to his cot. He called on the force, sinking down on the thin mattress into a meditative position. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Rey was ok, and that was all he needed to know.

Ben's eyes snapped open as he broke off his meditation with a sharp inhale. He had been so connected to the force that he sensed the dark ripple through space and time just before he physically felt it.

Like thunder echoing lightning, the entire building shook expectantly. He blinked rapidly, clearing the fog from his head as he came back to here and now. Tiny pebbles fell around him and small clouds of dust billowed out from the cracks in the wall.

He breathed, turning his head to the musk-rose which shivered like a scared child. The tremor seemed to last forever, like the ground was moving beneath him.

But there was more. Something wasn't right. The dark tremor he had felt in the force worried him more than the roof caving in on his head. He stood abruptly and began to pace his cell, his breath coming quickly as the panic rose in his core.

He focused and reached out to Rey. He immediately sensed chaos around her, but not like what he had felt earlier today. This was different. She was in trouble, _deep_ trouble. And not only her, but others around her were in danger too - his own panic rose as he felt her grow frantic.

There was only one option for him, only one thing he could do and it damn sure wasn't to sit here idle. He called on the force, reared back with all his might, and thrust both his hands outward, channeling the force towards the dura-crete glass wall in front of him. The glass shattered like water, crashing to the ground in a single, beautiful, shimmering curtain.

Ben felt the building shake again, and the disturbance pulsed in the force like a mushroom cloud. People were dying, he could feel it.

He wasted no time and started forward, his boots crunching loudly on the broken glass. As he exited, he took one last look over his shoulder at the musk-rose seedling, swaying slightly from the uproar, as if waving goodbye.


	31. Chapter 31 - Rey

Rey yawned. She sat bored in the small capitol meeting room, more interested in the foliage that decorated the space than the conversation happening around her.

Rey loved Hanna City. It was beautiful - modern, yet soft and integrated with the local greenery. There were vines and flowers Rey had never seen before and they were _everywhere_, as if nature was taking over the civilized structures - and winning.

She sat with her old friends, Finn, Poe, and Chewy, and a few new ones she had made during her time there. There were a few choice members of the Hanna City government, along with some resistance supporters left over from the war. A few representatives from some of the major systems in the galaxy were gathered there too.

They met nearly every day here since arriving on Chandrila, to discuss the post-war revival effort. Things were slowly coming together, but they had inherited a completely broken galaxy and now had the seemingly impossible task of re-inventing it and maintaining peace and freedom.

Their main focus had always been, and would continue to be, keeping the power diversified throughout the galactic systems by allowing equal representation from all. There would be no emperor, no governor, no president, no senate. Only a central governing body made up of representatives from every corner of the galaxy. A true republic.

Rey found herself daydreaming and wishing she was back on Ahch-To, alone, with Ben.

She sighed, stifling back another yawn.

"Tired, Rey?" Rikk Mothma suddenly teased her from across the room, interrupting the conversation.

Rey inhaled sharply and blinked rapidly, sitting up straight.

"Sorry. I'm fine." She mumbled, looking down at her hands, ruefully. Politics really were not her thing.

Rey waved a hand forward, indicating for them to continue.

Rikk Mothma was the son of the late Jobin Mothma, who perished in the Battle of Hoth over 30 years ago. The Mothma's were prominent here on Chandrila, a good and prosperous family that Rey had only heard about through what she thought were just legends and stories. Rikk had been born shortly after Jobin's death and had never known his father, but was raised by his mother, Cortia, and grandmother, Mon Mothma.

Everyone here knew their family. They were practically Chandrila royalty. Rey had noticed Rikk's family portraits that littered the walls of the capitol.

Rikk had been their main supporter since arriving on Chandrila, welcoming them with open arms. After all, the Mothma's had always been loyal to Leia and the resistance, and saw them as an extension of the Princess herself.

Rikk was a witty and charming man. He certainly dressed as though he was a prince - Rey had never seen such fine silks and cloths in her life. His presence was electric - he commanded every room he walked into with his tall and stocky form and perfectly trimmed short blonde locks.

Today, he wore a dusty blue tunic that matched the color of his eyes, with a black cape slung casually over his shoulder.

The conversation continued on as Rey sunk back into her daydreams. Finn sat next to her and leaned over to squeeze her thigh with his hand. She grinned reassuringly at him. Rey had sensed Finn's growing concern for her over these past few days. She could feel his eyes on her as he watched her deteriorate.

At last, the meeting ended. Rey _was _exhausted, especially after today's episode on the balcony. She stood quickly and picked up her staff, slinging it over her shoulder as she listened to the droning buzz of the individual conversations happening around her.

Rey's stomach suddenly jumped with excitement at the prospect of heading straight back to her quarters, taking a long hot shower, and climbing into bed. It was then, like she always did, that she would reach out to Ben. She selfishly needed him, needed his support and had to know he was ok.

Rey turned for the exit, and nearly ran into Rikk as her vision was filled by the dusty blue of his flawless tunic.

"Oh!" Startled, she took a step back. How did she not sense...

"S-sorry, Rey." Rikk took a step back, eyeing her cautiously. He gathered himself quickly as Rey looked up at him.

"Hey, sorry for calling you out. Recognized immediately it made you...uncomfortable...and I know things haven't been easy for you lately. I mean, it's none of my business but-"

"Ah, no worries, Rikk." Rey shifted her body weight impatiently and smiled reassuringly up at him. He was now the only thing standing between her and sleep - and Ben - and she wanted nothing more to disappear for the night.

There was a beat of awkward silence between them when, thankfully, Finn approached. Rey was relieved her friend had come to the rescue.

Rikk seemed relieved too as he immediately changed the subject. "Finn. So where's Rose tonight?"

"Ah, you know, elbow deep in grease somewhere." He grinned. "Nah, she's still working with your mechanics to get that central oscillator up to the rest of the city."

"Yeah...quite the job they have there. But it will drastically improve our outreach to the rest of the galaxy." Rikk said.

Finn nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, we're happy to have her here. And the rest of you." Rikk's eyes flicked over the people left in the room, lingering on Rey for a beat longer.

Rey took a deep breath in, ready to make her exit. "Well, you guys have a good night."

Rey brushed quickly passed them, not waiting for a goodbye. She heard them both mumble "goodnight, Rey" as she neared the door, sensing their eyes on her back.

Just as Rey reached the door, she stopped dead in her tracks and the hair on her arms stood on end. A terrible feeling came over her, the same way it did when the darkside of the force clouded her mind.

Then, an enormous boom ricocheted through the halls of the capitol, shaking the entire building. A million thoughts went through her mind in one second. Was it a bomb? An earthquake? Were they under attack?

Rey stood frozen in the threshold of the doorway, looking out into the towering halls of the capitol. The walls seemed to sway like ribbons in the wind and tiny pebbles shook down and blanketed the floor.

"What the-" she mumbled.

Then, the second wave hit her, but worse. This was again from the force, a feeling as if she had been kicked in the stomach by one of Unkar Plutt's thugs. She sensed the loss of life, as clear as when she felt Leia pass.

Rey resisted the urge to crumble to the floor in tears and turned to Finn and Rikk, panicked. The small room full of terrified people stood motionless, eyes staring at the ceiling, wondering if it would cave in.

Her eyes landed on Finn's and she realized that he felt the death and agony too. She could see it on his face.

"Rose." They breathed, in unison. Finn's mouth gaped slightly and his eyes were ignited with fear.

Rey didn't wait as she turned quickly and dashed down the long halls towards the source of the destruction. She heard Finn, Rikk, and a few others running hot on her heels.

It was the central oscillator, it had to be. Damn it, Rey knew it was a dangerous job. She had sensed it as soon as Rose told her about it. Chandrila had been operating on an obsolete infrastructure, and it was obsolete for a reason. It was dangerous, massive, and highly reactive. It was the reason half of Hanna City was still without any modern power.

As they ran towards the chaos, people ran in the opposite direction like ants, fear blanketing their faces. The building shook again with another explosion.

Rey breathed hard, pushing herself forwards. She willed her legs to go faster as she ran. She had to get there, _now_, because she could no longer sense Rose and that gave her the strength to push herself faster down the halls.

The central oscillator was located in a massive covered building attached to the central spire of the capitol complex. As they finally approached, Rey could see the destruction before she got there. She could feel the heat radiating off the epicenter. The massive, dark room reminded her of the same place where she had watched Kylo Ren kill Han Solo on Starkiller base.

And at the center stood a single, towering cylindrical structure with a spinning red and orange vortex of nuclear power.

The group skidded to a halt as they approached the perimeter. The sun pierced down into the massive complex from a hole the size of the Millenium Falcon that had been blown out of the metal ceiling. Luckily, most of the blast had been aimed upwards, not outwards, but the oscillator still spun with vicious and uncontrollable ferocity. It spat out bands of white hot energy, tearing down all metal in its path, and it was only a matter of time before it took out the whole city.

The heat and noise of the destruction was nearly unbearable. Rey searched the floor and spotted bodies scattered throughout. Despite what she had felt, she begged her eyes to not let her see Rose among the dead. It looked like a horrific war zone. The ripple effect of the loss of life through the force nearly buckled Rey's knees out from under her, but she had to focus.

_Breathe._

Rey, turned to Rikk, just as out of breath as her. His blue eyes reflected specks of fire as he looked up horrified at the scene, his eyes scanning the dead before them.

"Rikk. Rikk!" He tore his eyes away and looked down to Rey. "I need you to focus. How do we shut this thing off? There must be a main control, somewhere."

Rikk nodded and searched the room. His eyes landed at the base on the cylindrical structure that contained the spinning ball of fire.

"There!" He pointed. "The oscillator is controlled on that central control unit. There's an emergency mechanism-"

They all ducked in unison as the oscillator spat out another band of fire and energy, crushing a metal beam behind them.

Rey stood, horrified, then narrowed her eyes at the control unit. It was about 100 yards away. Not far, but not a safe path and directly in the line of fire.

They had no choice. She turned to Finn and Poe.

"We _have _to get down there, to shut this thing off! If we don't, this whole thing could blow!"

Finn and Poe nodded with terror in their eyes. Rey turned, starting forward, but was stopped by a hand that shot out and gripped her arm, holding her in place.

She turned, furious. Rikk held onto her. "You can't get close to that thing! It's spitting out-"

Another explosion of radiating fire struck like red lightning from the oscillator.

"The damn thing is spitting out fire! You'll be incinerated before you can reach it!"

"What choice do we have?!" Rey shouted, shaking herself free from his grip. "Thousands of people, _your_ people, will die if we don't stop this-"

"You don't think I know that?!" Rikk shouted, eyes piercing blue fire into hers.

"Guys!" Poe stepped forward. "Cut it out, we have to try..."

Rey let Poe's voice fade away from her hearing as she silently turned in on herself and focused. The hectic voices around her disappeared and echoed undisguisable around her as she reached out to the force, for something, anything...

She found a new strength there, like she had in the snowy forest, her saber locked with Kylo Ren's as she cleared her head and focused her mind on the force and only the force.

The voices continued to echo in the background as she blinked slowly. Now, all she heard was her breath..._inhale, exhale..._ She turned slowly, eyes landing on the vicious spinning red ball of energy. It looked like a miniature sun, barely held together within a crumbling glass cylinder.

Realization came over Rey then and she knew what she had to do. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she had to try. She looked down slowly at the dry and rough palms of her hands, and remembered the electric power that had exploded from them on Pasaana.

A power she didn't know she had.

"I have an idea." Rey said suddenly, interrupting the chocophy of voices behind her. Finn and Poe silenced and eyed her curiously while Rikk stood silent, waiting.

Rey turned to Finn, her most trusted friend, with a look in her eyes that said "trust me". She pushed that message to him, willing it to sink in. Finn nodded once, understanding.

"Go!" Rey yelled to Finn and Poe. Poe, ever brave and loyal, didn't question as he took off with Finn. Rey felt Rikk's eyes on her, questioning, but she didn't have time to explain.

She stepped forward, closer to the fire ball and took a deep breath, focusing her senses.

_I can do this._ She thought.

Rey reached her hands outwards, as if warming them on the heat from the exploding fireball. She pushed every ounce of power she had to the end of her finger tips. She willed the mini sun to obey, to succumb to her command. Rey dug deep inside herself, searching and finding power and strength she didn't know she had.

The effort was excruciating. She felt the force bend and pull around her as she molded it with her mind. It took every ounce of concentration she had as beads of sweat began to build on her forehead, dripping into her eyes. Her breath was staggered, coming in short, painful huffs.

She saw Finn and Poe, running down below her towards the base of the structure. The fireball pushed harder, but she pushed back harder, gritting her teeth and staring the thing down like her worst enemy.

_You...will not...win.._. she thought at the thing, as if it could hear her.

Rey pinned back the arms of electric fire that threatened to break free and kill her friends with one cruel stroke. That was motivation enough to keep the ball of fire molded into a compact and controlled sphere, but the effort was draining her. Fast.

Then, she felt it. An unmistakable tingle at the base of her skull. It was a warm, reassuring presence through the force that felt like coming home.

_Ben_.

He was close. But where? And what the hell was he doing?!

Ben was reaching out to her, through their bond. He was pushing all his reassurance through to her as she heard him whisper, "_Hold on, Rey. I'm on my way."_

Rey could hardly focus on their bond. The feral oscillator required all of her attention, but the knowledge that he was close gave her the fuel she needed to keep fighting.

She knew time was passing at normal speed, but it felt like the seconds were dragging on impossibly slow. Finn and Poe were still running towards the main control unit, _almost there, almost there..._

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she suddenly heard heavily booted footsteps slamming on the metal floor behind her. She heard the horrified gasps from the people around her and she felt Rikk tense beside her and step further away as the footsteps approached.

Then, Ben's arm filled her vision as he extended it along with her outstretched arms. He dwarfed her outstretched hand as he placed his palm against the back of her flexed hand, weaving his fingers through hers. She felt him stand just behind her, and she sighed, closing her eyes as she felt his other hand rest on the small of her back. He immediately pushed all his strength into her, giving her refined resilience against the oscillator.

Now, the terrible thing didn't stand a chance against their dyad. _A power like life itself..._

Rey didn't know how much longer she had to relish in the feeling of Ben's physical touch, even in this terrible moment, but she allowed herself to be selfish and take it in, absorb and commit his touch to memory.

Her eyes flitted to Poe and Finn, who were fumbling with the central controls.

For a brief, panicked moment, Rey worried they would not be able to shut the thing off. But at last, an exashperated Poe yelled, "_Oh, fuck it!", _whipped out his blaster, and shot a few bolts into the entire control unit.

With that, the oscillator extinguished into thin air, zipping upwards like a ship disappearing into hyperspace. Rays of sunlight now beamed down from the massive hole in the ceiling, the only light in the dark room.

All the air in Rey's lungs escaped with a sigh and her knees buckled beneath her. She crumbled towards the steel floor, Ben catching her as she made her way down. He pulled her close to him, supporting her exhausted body as she lay her back against his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist and his cheek pressed against hers.

She smiled lazily to herself as she felt his black hair tickle against her face. She let her eyes flutter closed.

_Finally. I missed you._

"Rey." He shook her frantically. "Rey! Come on, stay with me."

She cracked her eyes open, looking up into his sharp, beautiful features. Her lips pulled into a smile, attempting to calm his worried face.

"I'm...not dying...just...let me sleep." She closed her eyes again.

"Yep, Rey, that's what I'm afraid of." Ben's voice was low and hectic. He shifted his weight, moving her so she sat up further against him. "You just nearly drained yourself to death, I can barely feel you. Please. I need you to stay awake, stay with me." He shook her harder.

Her eyebrows furrowed into a frown above her closed eyes. "Hmmmm" was all she could manage.

Defeated, she felt Ben start to pour himself into her again, the same way he had on Exegol. Her strength grew slowly as her eyes opened wider.

Suddenly, gasps echoed around them and Ben froze as Rikk walked brisking passed them. All Rey could see, or cared to see, was Ben's face and she watched as he looked off towards the extinguished oscillator, a horrified look growing across his face.

What was going on? What was everyone looking at?

She shifted, trying to move against Ben to get a better look. Ben's head snapped down to her as he held her tighter, smiling reassuringly at her. The smile did not touch his eyes.

But she turned her head, towards where Rikk stepped off to. And then she saw it. She felt the blood drain from her face and her breath caught in her throat.

Poe walked forward, with Finn trailing close behind, holding a limp, lifeless Rose in his arms.


	32. Chapter 32 - Finn

Finn carried the weight of the world in his arms as he willed his legs forward across the cold metal floor.

_Left, right, left, right..._

He found himself intensely focused on walking, as if he was a toddler all over again. He didn't look down, only forward, but didn't really see in front of him either. He used Poe as his guide, directly in front of him, leading the way to where the others were standing.

He couldn't look down. Because if he did, it would confirm what he refused to bring into reality. He knew if he didn't look, he could remain in the past for just a little bit longer.

Rose. His Rose. He had fallen for her in a way he didn't know was possible. Rey was his dearest friend, and while beautiful and strong, he wasn't attracted to her like he was with Rose. With Rose, he found himself staring frequently at the way the corner of her eyes wrinkled when she smiled, the way her body moved when she walked, and how her lip curled when she concentrated hard on something she was fixing.

So he couldn't look down at the weight he carried. If he did, he would know he would never get to see her movements like that again. He chose to keep living in the fantasy of the past, if even just for a brief moment longer.

Poe walked just in front of him. The heat from the terrible oscillator was gone, the massive room now only lit by the hole in the ceiling. It was eerily peaceful and quiet now, a stark contrast from the cacophony that had just nearly ended them all.

As they got closer, Finn spotted Rey, lying lazily in a man's arms - _his_ arms. He had clearly missed how Ben Solo had escaped prison and ended up here all of a sudden, but right now, he didn't care. He saw how Ben looked at Rey as if she was the only person in the room, holding her weak body up, his dark brow furrowed down at her in concern.

There was a terrible silence and stillness as Poe and Finn walked up the short staircase from the bottom of the floor to join the others. He willed their faces to mold into joyous celebration, like on Ajan Kloss, disavowing his fears, but they remained cold and devoid of all hope.

When Finn and Poe reached the top of the stairs, he spotted Rey lazily roll her head over to one side, resting on Ben's arm. She was practically splayed out on him as he supported her limp frame. Rey had been smiling up at Ben as he looked down at her, until her eye's met Finn's. He watched as her face slowly melted to mirror the other's, sealing Finn's deepest fears.

Rose's tiny form suddenly felt like he really was carrying the weight of an entire world. He tore his eyes away from Rey's face as he reached the top of the staircase. He could take it no more.

Finn wanted nothing more than to disappear with Rose. He was sick of the prying eyes on him and wanted them all to disappear, wanted everyone to go away and leave him with his love. He still hadn't looked down on her and he had to see her, to know she was ok...

_...just need to look at her, she's ok, she has to be ok, right?_

He felt his ankles give way underneath him, betraying him, and he staggered forward. He heard the audience gasped in response.

Finn walked a few more paces forward, as far forward as his legs would allow, then he let himself crumble to the metal floor. He was careful to keep Rose balanced carefully in his arms, taking extra care to not hurt her.

Finn's knees slammed loudly on the metal floor. He moved so he was sitting, with Rose laying across his legs. He cradled her head in his arms then finally willed his eyes to look at her.

Her eyes were open, grey, and dry. Her mouth was parted slightly, but no air escaped her lips. Her torso was unusually soft and wet, but he didn't dare look down to figure out with what.

Finn suddenly heard a guttural cry echo through the dark chamber which terrified him. A sound he had never heard before, like a mother losing a child, a father losing a son, a lover losing a soulmate. All things that should be absolutely forbidden to be written in the stars, but somehow they were.

Then, with the wet tears that dripped onto her lifeless face, he realized with horror that the sound came from him.


	33. Chapter 33 - Ben

The sound that echoed throughout the dark chamber was like none Ben had ever heard before. And he had heard and seen a lot of dark things in his 30 years.

Rey was sprawled against his legs, reminding him grimly of Exegol, but this time he could feel her pulse against his hand and her body was warm with life. She hadn't completely drained herself to contain the oscillator, but he knew she would have if he was just a few seconds later. She was insufferably good. So good that it would be the death of her.

Finn's back was to them all. He held the girl, Rose, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Her legs were sprawled out perpendicular to Finn's as he cradled her head. He held the lifeless girl in his arms and the grim audience watched silently as the sobs that rippled from him shook his shoulders violently.

Ben could sense the girl was dead and he knew Rey felt it too. Ben's grip subconsciously grew tighter around Rey, protectively. He couldn't help but notice the sick mirror image of Finn holding the woman he loved too, though under very different circumstances.

Ben stared at Finn's shoulders as he started to feel something he had rarely ever felt in his life. He felt the light rise in him as he was flooded with a sense of empathy and a desire to reach out and comfort this man he hardly knew and who most certainly despised him.

Ben's grip tightened on Rey as he felt what Finn was feeling. He had been there before - holding someone who gave him purpose and love, now dead and lifeless in his arms. The only difference was Ben knew he could save Rey, because of their dyad.

And maybe...

Ben didn't think then as he quickly released his hold on Rey. He scooted himself out from under her and felt Rey's big eyes piercing questions into him as he stood. The others around them tensed and the taller blonde haired man in powder blue narrowed his eyes and placed his hand on the blaster around his hip.

Ben ignored them all as he stepped forward slowly towards Finn. Perhaps _this_ was his final purpose. He had given Rey back to the galaxy and had questioned why the effort hadn't killed him. Maybe the force wasn't done with him yet because he still had more to atone for in the galaxy.

Now, he could start - or end - with righting the wrongs he had done to Finn, a former brainwashed stormtrooper under _his_ command.

Ben's boots were heavy as he moved forward closer to Finn. As he approached, the girl's body slowly came into view.

Ben was careful to keep the shock contained on his face when he saw her.

Her skin was pure white porcelain and her small, angelic face was framed with black, silky hair like oil. Ben's eyes flicked quickly down to her torso, which was riddled in blood oozing from a sickening hole in her abdomen. She had been stabbed by something, a rogue piece of metal perhaps, and Finn had clearly torn her away from whatever had killed her.

Ben paused as he looked the girl over, then kept his eyes on Finn as he slowly sunk down in front of them. Ben expected some sort of protest, but Finn hardly noticed him as he stared down at the girl's face, cradling her head and rocking her back and forth in between breathy sobs.

"I can help her." Ben said breaking the silence and eyeing Finn.

As soon as he said this, he spotted Rey behind Finn shuffle quickly up off the floor and walk towards them.

Finn reluctantly rose his head to meet Ben's eyes. His cheeks were stained with sparkling streams of wet tears and his face was contorted in a terrible grimace. He looked like a man who had nothing more to lose.

Finn said nothing and turned his head back down to Rose. Rey approached and sank down next to Ben.

"Oh, Rose..." she whispered, her voice thick with grief, eye's flickering over the girl's body.

Rey looked at Ben, her voice low and serious. "We _have_ to try."

Ben nodded, looking back down to Rose. The girl wasn't force sensitive, so he wasn't sure if this could work or if this would kill them in the process. They were experimenting with abilities they still didn't fully understand.

He remembered Palpatine's words then. _A dyad in the force. A power like life itself._

Finn flinched slightly but did not protest as Ben slowly reached his hand forward. He hovered his large hand over her ruined torso and took a deep breath in.

Rey mirrored his movements as she grasped his free hand in hers and moved her other hand next to where he hovered above Rose. Ben felt her squeeze his hand slightly.

Ben could hear quiet whispers stir up around them. Their audience watched in quiet wonder as they witnessed the power of their bond, unseen by anyone else before.

Ben focused, spilling his energy into Rose. He felt Rey's energy move through him too, drastically mitigating the effort it took to pass on his life force to the girl. Ben couldn't help but be in awe of their power - together, they were unstoppable.

Then, he felt the torn tissue begin to mend under his hand. Slowly, he felt her flesh warm. Excitement grew in Ben as he realized it was working.

Ben remained aware of Rey's strength as it slowly faded from her. He would not let her drain herself and had to stop her if he sensed her going too far.

After all, he knew Rey would die to save her friends.

Ben gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. He was nearing his limit when finally, he heard a small, unfamiliar voice pierce through the silence.

"Finn?" The small, female voice said.

Finn choked back breaths that came too quickly. Ben and Rey simultaneously pulled their hands back, slumping over and breathing heavy.

They had done it. The girl was _alive_.

Ben looked immediately to Rey, wrapping his hand around the top of her arm and commanding her to look at him. She huffed and was weak, but looked at Ben and smiled that gorgeous, perfect, warm smile that he loved. They were ok. They were all ok.

Rey's eyes glistened slightly, then her gaze floated down to Rose. Ben watched as her full smile filled her face, then he looked down at the girl too.

The color had returned to Rose's pale skin. Her eyes were wet and alive, glistening with happiness as she gazed up at Finn and only Finn. Her torso was still wet with blood but the gaping hole was gone, now revealing perfectly healed, smooth skin.

Rose reached a hand up and placed it on Finn's face.

"Hey, you." The girl said simply.

Finn sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his wet cheek into her hand.

"Hey, yourself."

Ben felt like a voyeur peering into some intensely private and intimate moment. Suddenly, as if commanding him out of the moment, he heard heavy footsteps approach quickly behind them. The footsteps grew louder and Ben took in a deep breath as he sensed what was coming next.

There was some quick shuffling, and he heard Rey gasp and reach out for him as two pairs of rough hands gripped the tops of his arms and hoisted him to his feet. His teeth rattled with the force of the strong guards.

Rey scurried to her feet before him, her eyes wide and worrying. The guards pulled him away from her, dragging him back, and he felt like the rubber band connecting them was being tugged to it's limit.

"Commander Mothma sir, we're so sorry, the prisoner escaped somehow-"

"Yes, I see that." A man responded.

Ben immediately recognized the name: _Mothma_. The Mothma's were some of the closest and most loyal friends his mother ever had. Ben had grown up with the Mothma's on Chandrila.

_Surely, it can't be..._

The guards roughly hoisted him around to face the man and Ben's stomach dropped as he gazed on his face. It was the man in the dusty blue tunic, tall and broad shouldered with golden blonde hair. Memories and realization flooded Ben's head.

_Of course._ How could he have missed this?

"Rikk?" Ben breathed, gaping at his old childhood best friend.

A small smile tugged on Rikk's lips, but his eyes remained hard and serious.

"Hello, Ben."


	34. Chapter 34 - Rey

"You two know each other?" Rey blurted as she stepped forward, darting her eyes between Ben and Rikk.

_Of course. _

Chandrila was Ben's homeworld and Rikk had to be only a few years older than Ben. Rey could sense it. They had grown up here together, shortly after the fall of the Empire.

Rey tapped into Ben's mind, reaching out for answers. She was met with flashes of Ben's childhood, as seen through his young eyes. Playing rebels and imperials with Rikk, the two boys sparing with sticks they found on the ground, Leia scolding Ben for accidentally giving Rikk a black eye...all memories of his past.

Ben, who sensed her probing, flicked his dark eyes to Rey where she stood then quickly back to Rikk.

"I _knew_ him. A long time ago." Rikk replied. Rey noted his particular choice of words.

Ben's jaw was a stiff, hard line as he stared at his old friend. Suddenly, Rikk took two giant steps forward, closing the gap between them. Rey tensed.

"Why did you come back here?" He growled in Ben's face. "You could have gone anywhere in the galaxy, hidden out anywhere you wanted. Instead you chose to come to a post-resistance-era-hot-spot filled with thousands of people who would love to kill you. _Why?_"

Rikk spoke as if he couldn't get the words out fast enough. Rey was struck by how he almost sounded as though he was pleading.

Ben remained silent in his usual brooding way, but his eyes betrayed him as they flicked to Rey.

Rikk stepped back and looked at Rey then back at Ben. He was silent for a moment as he pieced it together.

"Ah." Rikk said finally. "I see."

"So what now?" Ben asked, impatiently, his voice low and bored.

Rikk drew in a long, deep breath. The silence in the room was suddenly deafening, everyone waiting for his orders. Then, he nodded curtly to the guards, a gesture so subtle most in the room probably didn't notice. But Rey did.

The guards roughly forced Ben around towards the exit, hoisting him forward. Rikk's light eyes dropped to the floor as he clenched his fists, turning his back as Ben was carried off.

Rey nervously shuffled her feet beneath her as she watched her other half being taken away from her. _Again_. When would she see him next? Should she run after him, try to stop the guards? Maybe she should set him free, like Rikk said, tell him to go, take the Falcon, hide out somewhere...

Regret filled her core. She had been so stupid to bring him back here, so soon after the war.

Suddenly, Rey heard a shuffling behind her.

"Stop!"

Rey spun around. It was Finn, on his feet now, leaving Rose's side and walking briskly forward towards Rikk who turned around too, raising his eyebrows questioning the outburst.

"This isn't right." Finn said. Rey gaped at him, stunned.

"Commander Mothma. Rikk. Can I call you Rikk? Right, anyways...look, I more than anyone know what he's done - to me, to the people I love, to the galaxy." Finn glanced at Rey, then sighed and continued. "But, aren't we just as bad as what we just fought to destroy if we don't...try to see the good in people? Without him, we would all be dead right now. And Rose..."

Finn looked behind him to Rose. She smiled warmly at him, nodding ever so slightly.

"General, you know that doesn't outweigh the magnitude of his war crimes." Rikk stepped closer to Finn, then whispered low enough that only Finn and Rey could hear. "Believe me, this isn't easy for me either."

"Then you feel it too. The light in him." Finn's voice grew with excitement. "I _feel_ the good in him and we all just witnessed it. He is _not_ Kylo Ren." Finn paused and looked ruefully at Rey. "I was wrong about him. I'm sorry."

Rey nodded knowingly at her dear friend, stifling back tears that welled in her eyes and managed a small smile in return.

There was a long silence between the two men. Rey looked towards the guards, who continued to haul Ben's massive form away while the others in the room began to slowly depart. Rey was relieved there was less of an audience now.

"And Rey." She snapped her head back to Finn at the sound of her name. "She would most certainly be dead if it weren't for him. During the battle of Exegol, he brought her back. _Ben Solo_ saved her, just like Rose."

Rikk's face was conflicted as he looked to Rey. "It's true." She said, stepping forward. "He nearly gave his life to bring me back."

Suddenly, Poe stepped forward.

"Commander Mothma, I have to agree with my co-general." Poe approached and gave Finn a reassuring pat on the back.

A lump began to form in Rey's throat as she stared at her two friends. They were _defending_ Ben, whether on his behalf or hers she did not know. But she was finally not alone in her fight to see the light in him and redeem him in the eyes of the galaxy.

"You opened your city to us, without condition." Poe continued. "I can't explain it either but something doesn't feel right about this."

Rikk raised a large hand, shaking his head. "Alright, I'll think it over." He began to turn away.

"He's still Leia's-" Poe started.

"I said I'll think it over!" Rikk raised his voice as he whipped around and bore his liquid blue eyes into Poe. "Generals, please. I think we've had enough for today. There are bodies to bury. Bodies of _my_ people. I will deal with...Ben Solo later."

Rikk turned then and sauntered down the metal steps to the grim scene of ground zero where workers removed debris and carried off casualties.

Rey inhaled deeply as she watched Rikk depart. Then she turned to Finn and Poe and hooked them in a massive hug with her sandwiched in between them. Her tears finally spilled over, dripping onto their shoulders.

"Thank you." Rey whispered in a shaky voice. "I don't know what to say."

"We should be thanking you." Finn said, pulling away and looking over her face. "What you did...what you _both_ did...Rey, it was extraordinary. I had no idea that was possible." He gazed at her in wonder.

Rey smiled and sniffled, "I had no idea either, until Ben brought me back after Exegol."

"I knew it. I felt you die, Rey. But I also felt you come back. Like what just happened, with Rose." At the mention of her, Finn's gaze wandered behind Rey's shoulder, to where Rose stood.

Finn looked back down to Rey. "We'll figure this out. I promise." He patted her shoulder then sprinted off to Rose.

"You gonna be ok?" Poe said then.

Rey turned to him, nodding. "Just tired, that's all."

"I can imagine. After...all that." Poe's face grew serious then. "But really Rey, we've all seen how you've...deteriorated these past few weeks." He shook his head, brow furrowing. "I had no idea you had such a connection to him. I always thought you two were just trying to kill each other."

Rey let out a short laugh, "Well, it was like that, for most of the time." She subconsciously rubbed her arm as she gazed off and remembered their brutal saber fights. How _furious_ he had made her, how he coaxed out the darkness within her like a moth to a flame.

She shook her head to shake off the memory just as Finn approached again, this time with Rose.

Rose wrapped her arms around Rey's waist, squeezing her in a tight hug. The girl was so small, Rey couldn't help but grin at the surprising strength of her grasp.

When they pulled away, Rey kept her hands on either side of Rose's shoulders, staring seriously down into her dark eyes.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Yes!" Rose smiled and laughed, "More than ok...Rey, I owe you my life. I owe you _both_ my life."

Rey smiled at Rose's acknowledgment of Ben, but shook her head, "You owe us nothing. But no promises it will work all the time, so please, pick a safer job next time."

Rose rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement.

Poe took a deep breath in then and smiled. "Well, how about some dinner after this incredibly normal and uneventful day?"

Rey laughed but shook her head, "You guys go ahead, think I'm just going to go to my quarters tonight. I'm exhausted."

Poe nodded, but Finn eyed her carefully. "Let us know if you need anything."

Rey smiled softly, then turned and walked briskly towards her quarters.

Rey dug up some portions for dinner once she returned to the quiet of her room. It was like muscle memory as she fixed her meal, bringing her back to the solidarity of her life of Jakku. Something about it comforted her, reminding her of a simpler time. Though lonely, it was quiet and often peaceful.

She ate slowly and found herself wishing Master Luke or Leia were here. She needed someone to talk to, someone older and wise with parental comfort. But every parent figure that had ever existed in her life was dead.

At that thought, her face scrunched in pain. She set her plate down next to her, tucking her knees into her chest and laying her head on her crossed arms to cry.

A faint, warm sizzling tickled the back of her head. A voice, so soft she wasn't sure if she was imaging it, echoed through her mind.

_No one's ever really gone... _The voice said.

She couldn't make out who it was, but knew it was _someone _speaking to her through the force. Comfort poured over her as she suddenly felt foolish and weak for crying. She wiped her tears quickly with the back of her hand and picked up her plate to scarf down the rest of her meal.

Rey spent nearly an hour in the fresher, spending most of the time meditating as the water beat in a steady stream against the back of her neck. Once she was thoroughly pruned like a dried fruit, she stepped out of the fresher and wiped down her plump skin with a towel. She would never get over the luxury of having a shower, especially in her own quarters.

As Rey combed through her wet hair, she stared in the mirror as the fog slowly dissipated, revealing her naked body. She found herself doing that often, having never had the luxury of a mirror on Jakku either. She had only seen herself in distorted reflections through rare puddles of water, broken dura-glass from a downed tie fighter, and polished steel at the scrubbing stations.

Rey yawned, the exhaustion suddenly hitting her all at once. She didn't cover her mouth as she admired her massive yawn in the mirror. She giggled to herself and thought of how her toothy smile made her look so much like a child again.

She yanked on an oversized sleeping tunic that barely covered her bottom. It was clearly meant for someone shorter, but she wouldn't dare complain to any of their hospitable hosts.

She hopped into bed at last, reaching for an old book she had found in one of the drawers in her room. A true scavenger, she had fumbled through every nook and cranny of the room, trying to find any clues as to who it once belonged to.

The book was called "_The Jedi Path"_. It was an Old Republic era text meant to teach students of the force all about the Jedi, from light saber forms, to proper meditation, all the way down to how padawans were meant to dress.

"A dress code, really?" Rey had whispered to herself when she read over that detail. Rey found herself scoffing at the strictness of the old Jedi ways. Luke had spoken about them many times, but not to this level of detail. She thought they made the whole thing too formal, too restricting with so many rules. Luke and Leia had made it simple, as simple as the force could be. Light and dark, dancing together in perfect balance.

Rey was engulfed reading about the very short and curt section of the text about the '_Dark History of the Sith' _when a sudden knock on her door snapped her back into reality. She glared at the door and frowned, as if it had made the noise She ear tipped her place in the old book and set it down on the nightstand next to her.

"Really?" Rey mumbled, annoyed. She begrudgingly slid out of her warm bed and padded to the door. She sensed a friendly presence, likely Finn or Poe.

"This had better be a good reason to be knocking at my door this late at ni-"

Rey swung open the door, but was silenced by the shock of seeing Rikk at her door.

"Oh, Rikk. Sorry about that, I thought you were someone else." Rey felt herself blush.

Rikk's eyes sparkled as he chuckled, "Not to worry, Rey. I'm sorry, to be bothering you so late at night...as you said." His blue eyes trailed down her form and eyed her exposed legs. Rey felt herself blush further, suddenly embarrassed and feeling oddly naked in front of him.

Rikk cleared his throat and composed himself. "But, uh..." Rikk's head turned to the side, his adam's apple bulging as he swallowed. He was looking off towards somewhere Rey couldn't see.

He eyed her carefully before moving to step aside. "I think this should be reason enough."

Rey frowned in confusion, but felt a familiar electric sizzle in her core. "Wha-?" She started, but just as Rikk stepped away, he was replaced by another, darker form, similar in build and stature.

Rey's breath caught in her throat and her heart immediately set pace faster than a jack-rabbit.

"Ben." She breathed.


	35. Chapter 35 - Ben

Ben stared into the wide abyss of deep brown flecked with green as she gaped at him through the threshold in raw surprise. She looked so innocent with her eyes wide, her mouth slightly parted in shock, and her tumbling, half-dry hair flowing freely across her shoulders. She breathed his name, the sound signing in his ears. He loved hearing his name on her lips.

Ben would have to find a way to thank Rikk for giving him this gift he knew he did not deserve.

Rey blinked once, then seemed to forget about Rikk next to him as she bolted two steps forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her torso to his. Ben's breath came out in a whoosh as he caught her, the girl far stronger than she knew. She gripped his back with the urgency of saying goodbye, her strong hands curling into the fabric of his shirt.

Rikk shuffled uncomfortably next to them as he cleared his throat.

"I'll, uh, leave you two then." He said, and started down the hallway.

Rey quickly unwrapped herself from Ben. "Rikk!" She called out, stopping him. He turned, a terribly hopeful look in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"Thank you. Truly." Rey said, nodding.

Rikk smiled, letting out a gentle sigh. "You know how to reach me if you need anything." He said it quietly, as if not wanting Ben to hear. Then he turned and continued off down the hall.

Rey's eyes lingered on Rikk's back for a moment longer, then she looked up at Ben, grinning her beautiful, wide smile.

Ben felt the corners of his mouth tug into a smile as he stared down at her there in the doorway, beautiful and vulnerable and _his. _He touched her face softly, letting his fingers linger there for a moment.

Rey turned and led him into her quarters, which he imagined were far nicer and larger than anything she had ever experienced before.

"Tell me," Rey said urgently, as she shut the door behind them. "What happened? With Rikk?"

Ben shrugged as he paced slowly around the room, mindlessly touching random baubles and trinkets. "A few hours after everything happened, he came down to my...cell." He paused as he landed on a small, rusty toolkit, immediately recognizing it as hers from Jakku.

"Was it what happened with Rose?" Rey said as she crossed the room and sat at attention on the edge of her bed. He could sense the impatience in her voice.

He turned to her and crossed his arms as he leaned his back against the wall. He shook his head, "Not just that. It's everything. Rose, the oscillator, what happened between us on Exegol...and my history with him, I think above all." He grimaced, "Snoke would call Rikk weak, letting compassion control him like that."

Rey nodded her head, understanding.

"He said he was likely making the biggest mistake of his life letting me go, giving me another chance. He said he'd be the first to kill me himself if I made him regret it."

"And will he? Regret it, that is." Rey said.

Ben smirked at her across the room. "We'll see." He said playfully.

Rey let out a short laugh, but she rang her hands nervously in her lap. "And what about the rest of the capital? Hanna City?"

"Rikk mentioned putting out an announcement to the capital, then letting the news spread from there."

He studied her face as her brows lifted in shock, then furrowed in concern.

Ben took a few giant steps, closing the gap between them and kneeling in front of her on the bed. He took her hands in his, resting them on her lap. "Rey. I have to face this. I'll handle it, one day at a time. I don't really care about the rest, as long as I'm with you."

"We will handle it. Together." Rey corrected him.

Ben's lips crooked into a smile. He nodded as he cupped her face, "Exactly. I have you to protect me."

Rey rolled her eyes and he was relieved to feel the worry melt from her. "You are your father's son." She said, as she touched his shoulder and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. She pulled away, her nose crinkled. "And you stink. Go wash." She gave him a gentle push towards the fresher room.

Ben stood and backed away from her with his hands up in feigned surrender. She was right. It had been weeks since he had a proper wash.

Ben took his time in the fresher, standing motionless, hands braced against the cool tile wall and head hung as he let the hot water soak his back. When his skin was numb and red from scrubbing, he stepped out of the shower into a cloud of steam. The mirror was completely fogged over and he smiled as he spotted a pile of clean men's clothes that had been left on the counter for him.

He dried himself and dressed quickly, shaking out his hair. He tugged on the loose fitting sleeping trousers, but neglected the tunic Rey had given him.

He sauntered out of the bathroom and opened his mouth to speak but stopped short as he found Rey sprawled out across the top of the bed, completely asleep. He took in the peacefulness of her, like a feral cat resting after the hunt. She was laying on her side with one arm beneath her head, her other hand wedged in between the pages of an old book she had been reading.

Ben tried not to wake her as he padded over to the bed, as quietly as his heavy steps would allow. He slowly reached down to the book and slid it out from her limp hand. He turned it over in his hands and read the title. "The Jedi Path." He rolled his eyes as he remembered reading this stupid book. He never agreed with the strictness of the old Jedi order and had always silently been glad it was long dead and gone. Ben saw she was on the section about the Sith, the only part of the book Ben ever found interesting.

Rey stirred below him and his eyes flicked down to her. He set the book down quickly on the nightstand, never taking his eyes off her.

She kept her eyes closed as she whimpered and managed to garble out "I'm so tired" which sounded more like "Aye'm so ty-erd", her proper accent sluggish with sleep.

He stifled back a chuckle and watched as she shifted and crawled under the sheets, making room for him. Her head plopped on the pillow like a rock and her eyes remained closed as she reached a hand out to him and curled her fingers as if gripping the air as she motioned for him to climb into bed.

It had been weeks since Ben had slept that soundly. His dreams were completely black, peaceful in their emptiness. When he woke, he had nearly forgotten where he was.

_Thank force..._ he thought, as he woke slowly, his eyelashes making a 'swooshing' sound on the soft pillowcase. It wasn't all a dream.

He turned quickly, silently willing her to still be there, still not convinced this was real. He shifted under the sheets and relief fluttered through his chest when he found her lying next to him, her back turned, hair spilling like dark ribbons across the white of the pillow case.

He laid there motionless for a moment, studying the curves of her hair as he questioned for the millionth time how he could possibly be so lucky.

Ben shimmied closer to her, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her waist. He tugged her close so she was melted to him like a puzzle piece, the curves of her body fitting perfectly with his, the heat of her warming the front of his body.

His other arm rested above her head, his face nuzzled in the tangle of her hair. He breathed her in, squeezing her tighter, as if trying to swallow her whole.

"Are you trying to suffocate me?" He heard her say suddenly.

Chagrin filled him, and he loosened his tight hold.

But he saw her cheek rise with a smile, and she reached down under the covers to his arm around her waist and tugged him tighter to her.

"Come back here." She protested. "Though, I was suddenly having a dream I was being constricted by a giant snake."

Ben cringed at the image she gave him as he nuzzled his face back into her hair.

They lay there like that in silence for a while, enjoying the warmth of one another as they snoozed. The sun from the window slowly migrated around the room and filled it with a golden hue.

After a while, Rey shifted around under his arm to face him. He looked down to her, face and eyes glowing from a good night's sleep.

He took in a shaky breath as she pressed her face into his bare chest. "I missed you. So much." She mumbled into his skin. She tilted her head up and pressed her full lips to the bottom of his neck. His arm around her waist squeezed her tighter in response.

It had been weeks since he had held her like this and now his desire for her clouded his mind. Ben had tasted her, the sweetest taste, and now he would be forever haunted by that, a hunger only she could placate.

He felt her move her body against him, acknowledging his want and communicating her own. Rey reached an arm up between them, sliding her hand across his chest as she did. She reached his face and turned his head down to her.

Force, she was beautiful. Especially here, now, in bed with him, her hair free and a mess and her sleeping tunic crumpled up around her hips. He swallowed hard. She somehow still made him nervous, something he was likely to never admit outloud.

Her eyes flicked to his lips and he met her mouth with his. He grew more eager, parting her lips with his tongue and kissing her deeper while crushing her to him. He pushed against her until she rolled onto her back and he followed, never breaking the kiss.

'_Two that are one' _he thought as he pressed his body into hers, feeling her moan and quiver beneath him. He broke away from her mouth and began to softly kiss her neck. Her breath came quicker and she deftly wrapped her legs around his hips, pushing her hips into his.

He pulled the tunic around her neck aside as he kissed her chest. He braced himself on his knees in between her legs as he moved lower, lower...

Ben pushed her tunic up further around her waist, exposing the sweetest part of her. He was suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss her _there, _to taste her in the most intimate way possible. He sat up, her hands moving to rest on his thighs as he kneeled before her, worshipping her.

She frowned at him, her beautiful face wrinkling in frustration. "Come back" she whimpered, clutching at his legs.

But he had other ideas. He met her eyes with a dark gaze. A look of confusion crossed her face as he kept his eyes on hers, and continued to kiss the top of her thigh, moving lower and lower...

"What are you- oh!" Her breath caught in her throat and her head fell back against the pillow as he kissed the most precious part of her. The sensations he was giving her pulsed through their bond, urging him to keep going. Her hands were tangled in his hair and he breathed against her pelvis, groaning slightly as he dug his fingers into her thighs.

It was better than he had imagined. The taste of her and the feeling of making her feel _this _good was paradise. He sensed something build inside her, and her hands gripped his hair tighter, pushing him closer to her.

Ben felt everything he was giving her through their bond. It filled him with a strange satisfaction, a confirmation that he was pleasuring her in the exact way she wanted to be pleasured. His eyes flicked up to her as she draped an arm across her eyes, lips parted slightly. He felt her falling, fall into swirls of color, ocean waves rising into mountains, and the sensation of her being so small until she was completely taken under by the waves. She came, so hard she shuddered beneath him and bit her lip to keep from crying out.

Ben sat up and wiped his mouth slowly with his hand as he eyed her, carefully assessing her reaction. She sat up abruptly and kissed his chest. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as her fingers danced across his back. He was so filled with want it was nearly unbearable.

Rey looked up at him then, face flushed and pupils so dilated her eyes were black. "How did you...where did you learn that?"

She was half kidding but it wasn't the reaction he had expected. Was she implying that he had been with another woman? He wrinkled his face and cocked his head to the side, shaking it slightly. "Don't be ridiculous, Rey. I didn't have to learn that from anywhere, I just wanted to kiss you there."

She shrunk away from him slightly and he immediately kicked himself for the dark tone in his voice, like they were back on the opposite side of the war.

He sighed and pulled her back close to him, one hand pressing her head to his chest. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

She melted back into him and he felt her smile against his chest, eyelashes fluttering against his skin. "I liked it." She whispered, her breath warm against him.

"I know." He said as he smiled against her hair.

A quick rap came at the door. Rey jumped slightly in his arms and their heads both snapped to the door. Another knock, this time more urgent.

Ben glared at the door and saw out of the corner of his eyes as Rey looked at him then back to the door then back to him again.

"It's Finn." She said.

"I know." He said again, this time annoyance thick in his voice. He was really sick of his time with Rey being interrupted, and he wasn't near finished with her yet. Ben felt a hint of the familiar anger that had consumed him for so many years rise in his core, making his chest hot.

He looked down to her and begrudgingly untangled himself from her legs. "I'll get it." He stood, fixing himself to hide his arousal under his trousers.

He heard her shuffling in the bed behind him. "You sure that's such a good idea?!" She whispered, urgently. "Ben, put on a bloody shirt!"

But he was already at the door, hand on the handle. Ben flung open the door, filling the threshold with his giant form. He sensed Rey perched on the bed behind him, anxiously fiddling with the sheets.

"Woah! Ok. This is not...ok, uh, woah." Finn stumbled over his words, stepping backwards a bit. Finn's eyes bulged slightly as he stared at the white skin of Ben's chest. Ben stared back at him, expressionless.

Ben could sense how uncomfortable it made Finn, but he didn't care. Rey was _his_, and he was hers. They were one, and her friends should grow to understand it, especially if they were to be living under the same roof for a while.

A strange droid that looked like a cone-head carelessly slapped onto a small wheel screeched passed his feet and straight into the room, greeting Rey.

"Hey, D-O." Ben heard her say.

"I'll come back later." Finn said, nodding quickly.

Rey sighed, "Finn, it's all right. Just come in." She called out.

Finn peaked behind Ben's shoulder to Rey, still on the bed. His eyes bulged again as he took in her flushed cheeks, tousled hair, and wrinkled sleeping tunic.

Ben could sense the awkwardness that radiated off of Finn like a sun. Ben stepped aside, motioning for him to come inside. _Let's just get this over with... _he thought as Finn stepped inside the room, his hand resting gently on his blaster.


	36. Chapter 36 - Finn

Finn spent that night with Rose as if it were their last. They dined with Poe and Zorii as the droids bumbled about in the near distance. Finn stared in amazement as Chewy inhaled a whole Chandrilan chicken to himself. Jannah sat chatting with Lando, who was visiting on his way through the Perlemian trade route. Lando was a valuable asset to their cause as he smooth- talked his way through the galaxy, making deals with systems and planets, and opening up trade routes previously crushed by the First Order.

It was a small but vibrant celebration, the smiles around him slowly beginning to turn purple from the wine.

But Finn couldn't shake off the annoying truth that nudged up against his mind every time he remembered why they were all able to smile like this now. At one point in the evening, he hadn't even noticed he had been staring off into nowhere and working the inside of his cheek until Rose squeezed his thigh and gave him a knowing look.

When Finn and Rose returned to their room, they wasted no time as they ripped the clothes off of each other like it was their first time. The wine made their movements hilariously clumsy, as they tripped over their clothes and laughed against each other's mouths on their journey to the bed.

Finn lost count of how many times they made love that night, how many times they had worshipped each other's bodies and souls. He had loved her, but now he had tasted his world without her in it and he was terrified of losing her again.

He woke before her in the morning, so he spent it with her tucked tightly against the front of him, their naked bodies warming each other. He toyed with her silky, midnight locks that flowed down her bare back like liquid obsidian. Her hair had grown long, like Rey's, and he loved seeing her with it down and free like this, a rare sight for a mechanic.

His fingertips trickled down to her shoulder, careful to not wake her but enough for her to feel in her dreams. He grazed her pale arm there, feeling the heat of her, watching her slowly rise with each long, sleeping breath she took. She was _alive_ and his again.

Because of Rey.

Because of Ben Solo.

Guilt filled him. Rey had told him and Poe about how Ben Solo had turned to the light, but it took Rose dying for him to finally believe her and see it for himself.

He remembered how good it had felt to feel his hand crunch against his long, hard face that day on the landing platform, how good it had felt to watch blood drip from his mouth. But then he also remembered Rey's horrified face when he had done it, the look of pain on her face as if he had hit her too. When he was arrested, Finn had been secretly happy he was left below the capitol to rot.

But he had left Rey alone in her grief. Rey had grown pale these past few weeks and he watched silently as dark circles formed under her eyes. And he had done nothing to console her because he had been so selfishly blinded by his own hatred for Kylo Ren.

_Damn it, I'm a shit friend. _He thought.

The sudden urgency to speak to Rey was the only thing that could draw him away from Rose. He quietly slipped out of the sheets, careful not to wake her, and quickly dressed. He took one last look at her, sleeping peacefully, before he shut the door quietly behind him.

Finn's vision was filled with hard, stone flesh, his eyes suddenly at level with a man's giant white chest.

_Wha-what the...?_

_Oh fuck me._

"Woah! Ok. This is not...ok, uh, woah." It was all Finn could manage to say as he stumbled backwards slightly from the sight of him.

The man completely filled the doorway, massive and intimidating. He wore only loose-fitting linen sleeping trousers that hung low on his hips. His hair was messier than Finn had ever seen it, but his expression was the same. Stoic and bored. Finn half expected him to say '_FN-2187. What do you want?'_

But in what galaxy would Kylo Ren ever present himself to his subordinates like this? Finn shook the thought from his head. _He is not Kylo Ren. This is Ben Solo. Breathe, you fool._

Finn was hardly aware of the tiny, nervous D-O that zoomed passed their feet, straight into the room. He heard Rey greet the droid, but couldn't see her over the mass of flesh in front of him.

_So she's in there. Good._

The pieces of the puzzle formed quickly together as if spelling it out for him in front of his eyes then slamming him in the face and branding him an idiot. He took another look at Ben's messy hair, lack of clothes, and the fact that he was in Rey's room...in the morning...

_Oh._

He imagined Ben and Rey's night - or morning - wasn't very different from the one he just shared with Rose.

"I'll come back later." Finn blurted out. His voice sounded two octaves too high and he wasn't aware he could speak so quickly.

"Finn, it's all right. Just come in." He heard Rey's voice call out. She sounded happy and well rested, back to her same-old energetic self. Like she had been restored, these past few weeks completely washed away and with it the cloud that hung over her head.

Finn straightened up and peaked over Ben's shoulder. He felt his face burn with chagrin as he spotted Rey still tangled in the sheets on the bed, her face flushed and glowing.

Ben moved then and Finn's eyes flicked immediately back to him. But the man backed up into the room, holding the door open for him and motioning for him to come inside.

Finn walked quickly past him and entered the cozy quarters. His hand was suddenly stiff and he hadn't realized he had been gripping the end of his blaster at his hip. He quickly let go, flexing his hand and glancing around the room nonchalantly.

Rey hopped out of the bed as he approached her, grinning. She really was like her old self again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he squeezed her into a tight embrace.

He heard the door shut behind them then Ben Solo walked past them, gracefully sitting down on the edge of the bed and leaning his arms forward to rest on his knees. He still wore his bored expression, studying the floor as if it was the most puzzling thing in the galaxy.

Finn cleared his throat, "I came to talk see you. Make sure you're ok."

Rey smiled at Finn and rubbed his shoulder. He knew she could sense there was something else.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here too." Finn paused. "Ben."

Ben's dark eyes flicked up to meet his, questioning him expectantly.

"I wanted to thank you, _both_ of you. What you did, for Rose...I didn't know that was possible."

"I didn't either. I knew it was possible to heal, but to completely bring someone back from the dead..." She shook her head in amazement. "I still don't understand it and likely never will."

Finn smiled then his face grew serious, "I will never be able to repay what you did." He paused again, looking to Ben, who went back to studying the floor, hands clasped in front of him. "What you _both_ did."

Ben stood slowly to his full height. Finn watched as he rose, thinking he might go on forever until his head popped out through the ceiling.

He spoke then, deep and ominous, but softer and different than Finn had ever heard him speak. "I sensed your pain in that room, with Rose. That inexplicable loss like there's no one left in the entire galaxy worth living for." He took a few steps closer to Finn, eyes locked on his. "I've felt that, with Rey." His eyes moved to her and lingered there for a moment as she smiled softly in return. "_That's_ what I felt on Exegol, holding her, dead in my arms." The three of them flinched slightly at that image and the intensity of his words.

"And now you're more protective over her than ever." Finn said quietly, musing. He had something in common with Ben - they had experienced the same loss.

Ben nodded. "There are few I would wish that pain on and they're all dead now."

Finn heard the sincerity in his voice, strange coming from his lips. Finn sighed, shifting on his feet. He extended his hand out to Ben, a gesture of peace. Ben's eyes flicked down to his outstretched hand and his full lips parted in shock, but he accepted and squeezed Finn's hand hard as they exchanged their truce.

Finn smiled at Rey then turned on his heel to leave. Then a thought struck him and he turned back to them.

"Wait, so Rikk let you go?" Finn asked.

Ben nodded. "I didn't escape. He knows I'm here, if that's what you're asking."

Finn smiled and nodded in understanding. "Rikk's a good man." He turned back to the door then, calling for D-O to follow. As he shut the door behind him he whispered to himself under his breath, "Things are finally starting to fall into place around here."


	37. Chapter 37 - Rey

Shortly after Finn left, Rey popped out to scrounge up some fresh men's clothes and boots for Ben. When she returned, she found Ben strewn out across the bed with his long legs dangling off the side. He had the book 'The Jedi Path' hovered above his face as he read but shut the book quickly as he heard her enter.

Ben propped himself up on one arm, "You were gone a while."

Rey tossed the clothes on the bed next to him, "Not easy to find men's clothes in your size." Her eyes scanned his body as he chuckled in reply.

Ben rose from the bed and dressed quickly. Rey watched in pleasure as she noted the perfect fit of the garments. He wore a loose fitting white tunic with a deep v that displayed the top of his chiseled white marble chest. The shirt was tucked into a pair of dark brown leather pants with a utility belt strapped low around his hips. He tugged on a pair of new leather boots and as he rose, Rey immediately noticed the few extra inches they gave him. As always, he was a tall, overwhelming figure, but now he would fit in a little better without the intimidating solid black First Order gear.

Rey grabbed his grandfather's lightsaber from the bookshelf behind her, where it had waited for him for the past few weeks. She approached him with it extended in her hand. His dark eyes flicked down to it and he took the saber with a hint of a smile. Rey sensed the pride radiating off of him as he was finally reunited with his lightsaber.

They didn't need the sabers, but now they carried them more out of habit and comfort more than anything else. Ever since she was a child, Rey had never been without some form of a weapon. Even now, she still wore Han's blaster strapped to her thigh along with Leia's saber on her hip.

"Is Lando still here?" Ben said suddenly as he strapped the saber to the utility belt at his hips.

Rey blinked. "Well, yes, I believe so..."

Ben fixed his jaw and nodded as he looked towards the door and frowned in his usual way. "Good. I need to talk to him."

Ben didn't wait for an answer as he started towards the door. Rey just barely grabbed his wrist as he reached for the handle. Ben's black hair danced across his face as he swung his head down to meet her confused gazed, but he kept his body aimed towards the exit.

"Um - you sure that's such a good idea right now? I'm sure Chewy is with him."

"Ah, good." Ben said as he turned back towards the door. Rey felt her eyes bulge as she reached for him again, but her efforts were useless as he pressed on through the exit.

Ben marched intently down the hall as Rey trotted behind him, hot on his heels and trying to keep up with his long strides. "Ben! Ben." She whispered loudly over the rhythmic thudding of his boots on the polished stone. "What are you _doing_?"

Ben smirked down at her, "Going to see old friends. Or really old family if you think about it-"

Rey shook her head in exacerbation. "I mean - are you sure you shouldn't just let things simmer down just a bit before going to see the Lando _and_ Chewy, the two closest people to your father after your mother? Chewy's likely to throw you into the ocean if Lando doesn't shoot you first."

Ben scoffed, "Have a little faith in me, Rey. It'll be fine." Ben smiled softly down at her as they continued down the hall. Rey knew he was using his senses to seek them out as they drew closer to the hanger. Lando would likely be readying his ship with Chewy to make sure everything was in order before he blasted off towards his next gig.

They turned a sharp corner as they marched closer towards the hanger. Rey walked beside him in silent defeat as she plotted out the 'what-if' scenarios in her head.

"Stop that. You're making me nervous." Ben said.

"Dyad." Rey replied matter-of-factly as she shrugged.

As soon as the hanger entrance came into sight, Ben stopped suddenly and grabbed Rey's shoulders to stop her in her tracks.

"Rey. I love you." She took in a sharp breath and her insides warmed at the sudden intimacy of his words. Her shoulders relaxed slightly under his hands. "But this is a meeting I'd rather have alone."

Rey's face hardened into a scowl. "Not a chance. I'm not leaving you alone in this place, I'm coming with you."

Rey felt her resolve melt as he entered her mind. His eyes shimmered as they bore into hers and she felt every cell in her body give way to him as he said, "You will not come."

Rey shook her head violently as she reeled back and punched his shoulder hard with the flat of her palm. "No mind tricks! You know it won't work on me."

But it had, ever so slightly, enough to seed a little voice in her head that told her to listen to him, to trust him. Ben was the moon and she was the ocean, and her tides had bent and molded to his will. But he didn't need mind tricks for that.

"Please, Rey-" But Ben trailed off as his eyes floated behind her to an unseen presence rapidly approaching down the hall.

"Everything alright, Rey?" She spun as she heard a familiar voice approach. It was Rikk.

Rikk looked as fresh as ever, with a dark grey tunic and long over coat. He sported shimmering black leather boots and a blaster at his hip of some origin Rey couldn't make out. Rey caught his blue eyes as they danced between Rey and Ben but he was careful to remain stoic and unconcerned. A true politician.

"This one is making a trip to see General Calrissian and Chewy." Rey said with annoyance as she cocked her head to Ben. She eyed Rikk and waited for his objection. Rikk was an advocate for peace and after the oscillator disaster she knew he wouldn't want any more chaos in the capital.

But Rikk smirked and crossed his arms as he raised his eyebrows at Ben. "Oh that should be interesting."

_Men are idiots. _She thought. She hadn't been this frustrated since Poe had lightspeed jumped the Falcon.

Rey turned to Rikk, "What he is about to do is suicide-"

Ben scoffed, "Oh, please Rey-"

"_Do_ _not_ interrupt me." She whipped her head to Ben as she glared at him with finality. A darkness built in her chest and she felt her eyes burn like searing charcoal. Ben's mouth snapped shut as he straightened and eyed her, surprised.

"Rikk," Rey continued as she returned her gaze to the tall politician, "Thank you for giving Ben a second chance. But don't you think he should lay low for a while? The capitol has had enough excitement after the events of yesterday."

Rikk twisted his face, "I'm sorry, Rey. But he's not a prisoner. I'm not here to order him around and tell him what to do, where to go, who to see. I forfeited that when I released him. I have to honor that."

Rey sighed, "And you are a man of your honor." Rey ground her teeth together but she knew he was right. Ben wasn't a prisoner here and shouldn't be treated like one. But no one could understand how much a part of her Ben was and how protective she was over him.

Then she turned to Ben and said, "And _you_ are your father's son."

Ben smiled softly and took a step closer to Rey. He placed a warm hand under her chin and commanded her eyes to his.

"It'll be ok. I promise." Ben said as he grazed his thumb across her cheek.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, Ben turned briskly and walked off down the hall, the warmth of his hand on her cheek like a shadow. She stood with Rikk in the long corridor as they watched Ben float away towards the hangar.

The capitol was alive with chatter about yesterday's events, buzzing in her ear like a fly she couldn't shoo off. Rikk escorted Rey to the dining hall to eat breakfast and as they walked, Rey could sense the searing stares of the people around her. The voices grew louder around them as they sat down to dine, and Rey found herself wishing she could switch off the force for once. They thought they were being quiet when they whispered about her and Ben, but she picked up on enough.

'_The Supreme Leader...one of the good guys...never...should kill him before he kills any of us...was she always a part of this?...can't believe we're letting him walk through these halls...what is Rikk thinking?...not fit to lead us...plotting something together...heard they're rebuilding another empire...the Sith...'_

Each comment she heard and each stare she sensed fueled her blood like individual drops of kerosine to a spark until the flames licked white hot in her chest. Her vision narrowed. Perhaps she should've let fate play out and let the oscillator consume them...

Rikk's hand was suddenly on hers as he silenced the voices in her head. She jumped slightly and hadn't realized she was about to bend the metal fork in her hand.

"Everything alright, Rey?" Rikk whispered across the table.

Rey shook her head and smiled weakly. "That's the second time you've asked me that this morning."

Rikk squeezed her hand and looked around the room. "Don't worry about them. They're just bored. They'll be on to the next exciting thing that happens around here in a few days."

"Why are you so forgiving, unlike the rest of them?" Rey said.

Rikk smiled shyly as he pulled away and shrugged, "It's complicated."

"You don't seem afraid that any of this will ruin your reputation." Rey continued. "They're already questioning whether you're still fit to lead them."

Rikk frowned, "I could care less about that. I'm always going to do what I think is best for the people of Hanna City and Chandrilla. Regardless of what they think of me. It's how I was raised."

"And you were raised with Ben. You care about him." Rikk opened his mouth to protest but Rey continued, "I can sense it."

Rikk didn't reply as he stared at her for a moment then continued to eat. Long ago, Ben had been like a brother to Rikk. Two kids both overshadowed by their parents' political aspirations and hopes for a better galaxy.

Rey didn't press the matter as she continued to shovel eggs into her mouth.

"You two...seem to have a complicated relationship." Rikk said after a while.

Rey swallowed hard and took a sip of her caff, clearing her throat. "Yes" she said plainly.

Rikk pressed on. "Poe and Finn, they told me about how you two were always trying to kill each other. And now..." He shook his head, "Well, I'd never guess you were once enemies."

"I'm not sure we ever really were enemies." Rey replied, "I mean, just two halves of the same whole who happened to be on opposite sides of the war...and the force."

Rikk stared at her and blinked, "So that's how you see it?"

"That's how it is." Rey replied, suddenly defensive. "He was a victim, a puppet, like so many others. Though I don't expect anyone in the galaxy to understand that."

"But I do." Rikk said simply.

Rey swallowed and stared into his ice blue eyes and realization flooded her. Rikk was right. For the first time, she wasn't alone in knowing who Ben Solo truly was.

Rikk broke the silence as he sat back and sighed. "I'm sorry, not trying to pry. Just want to make sure you're safe, that's all. He's an old friend but doesn't mean I still completely trust him after all he's done." Rikk paused and said his next words carefully. "Especially not with you."

"Don't worry, I can handle myself." Rey said with a grin as she tried to brush off the intimacy of his words.

Rikk laughed, "I know you can. I've heard the stories and I've seen you practicing up on the terrace. You could kick my ass if you wanted to."

They were silent for a while longer until finally Rikk continued. "So, I've never really gotten the chance to ask you about your life before all this." He flung his hand in the air. "Jakku, huh?"

Rey nodded, "Ever since I could remember. My parents left me there for good reason and I raised myself." She shrugged, "Now that I think of it, I wouldn't be the person I am without all the things I learned there, even from nasty ole Unkar Plutt."

Rikk cringed, "I've heard that name before. A thug who practically ruled that Neema Outpost area."

Rey nodded, "Yep, he did. But he took favor to me when I was a child which now I'm thankful for else I wouldn't've survived. I was small, able to fit into the tiny spaces of old wreckage that no other scavenger could get into. He payed me well in portions for that."

Rikk leaned in closer, his forearms crossing on the table. He was silent as he waited for her to continue. She wasn't used to talking about her life like this but she felt a strange relief in speaking about it outloud. The words seemed to pour out of her now.

"Shortly after my parents left I went into instant survival mode. I found an old AT-AT downed from the Battle of Jakku years ago. It was still in decent shape, preserved perfectly from the dry air. So I made that my home." Rey paused at a memory and felt herself smile. "I found a spinebarrel flower once while I was out scavenging a starship. That puny flower stuck with me my whole life there. I told myself that if it could survive Jakku, then I could too."

"Do you ever miss it?" Rikk asked suddenly.

Rey's eyes snapped up to his. "No one's ever asked me that before. But..." she paused as she considered his question. "Yes, I guess there are some things I miss, in a strange way. I miss the simplicity and the silence. Now, everything is so complicated...and loud." She frowned as she glanced around at the people in the room. "But I would never want to go back. I would never trade what I have now...the family. Finn, Poe, Leia, Luke...you."

"And Ben." Rikk finished. She met his shimmering blue eyes, bluer than any sea or sky she had ever seen.

Rey nodded but remained quiet as she thought about how Ben had really always been there. He was the presence she had always felt, the tingle at the back of her neck. She thought she had been so alone on Jakku, yet he had always been right there with her, through all those sleepless nights. The nobody from Jakku was a part of a rare dyad all along.

Suddenly as if on cue, Ben's force signature struck Rey as he passed through her electrical field. The automatic door to the large dining hall swung open as Ben emerged. Rikk and Rey's head both snapped up towards the entryway and they pulled away. Rikk cleared his throat and Rey could have sworn she saw Ben's eyes narrow slightly.

Ben's tall, dark form floated towards them. The few others in the room whispered silently to themselves as their voices echoed off the tall ceilings. Some even elected to scurry out of the room, like mice to a wolf. That angered Rey all over again. Had they forgotten this was the man who saved all their lives just yesterday?

"You're alive. That's a shock." Rikk called out as Ben approached.

"Don't sound so disappointed." Ben's eyes were liquid obsidian as he stared at Rikk.

Rey looked him up and down, expecting to see some part of him missing or blood to be soaking his clothes somewhere. "Ok but how are you not...bleeding?" Rey asked, confused with his nonchalance.

Ben grinned at her as he forced pulled a chair to him, the legs loudly skidding across the floor. He sat down swiftly between the two of them. "I'm alive, aren't I?" He leaned in towards her and nudged her mind through the force, a reassurance that he would explain later.

Ben leaned back and looked to Rikk. "I've come back with a...job." Ben worked his jaw as he searched for the word. "Lando spoke about Pasaana. You're familiar, I know." Ben looked to Rey as images of their force connection and her destroying his beloved TIE _Silencer_ in mid-air flooded her thoughts. She had been fascinated with the excitement and bacchanal of the Aki-Aki festival and filled with warmth at the happiness of the inhabitants.

She smiled as she remembered Nambi Ghima and the necklace the Pasaana girl had given her.

"What's Pasaana got to do with it?" Rey said as she straightened up.

Ben's eyes were hard as he replied. "It's the First Order." Rey's stomach dropped. "Well, sort of. Lando's got some old connections there. Says there's some First Order sympathizers who're trying to rebuild." Ben replied. "Small, but still a threat."

Rikk shook his head and Rey's stomach twisted at the thought of anyone taking advantage of the peacefulness of the isolated planet. She thought of Nambi Ghima and willed her to be safe and away from any harm.

"They'll work quickly to gain power, especially in a place like Pasaana where they're so out of reach from the other systems." Ben continued. "Lando was hiding out there for a while so he knows the area well."

"Well, we knew we would have to put out these little fires after the war was over." Rikk said.

"And we have to snuff them out. This is what we fought to protect." Rey said. She stood abruptly and looked down at the two men. "I'll talk to Poe and Finn. When do we leave?"


End file.
